§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister to what extent the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales share in Ministerial responsibility for matters relating to universities; and if he will take steps to increase such responsibility.
§ Lady Megan Lloyd Georgeasked the Prime Minister to what extent the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales share in Ministerial responsibility for matters relating to universities.
§ The Prime MinisterIn making appointments to the University Grants Committee, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science consults my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, and he transmits to them copies of formal reports from the Committee. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales are also brought into consultation on issues of importance to universities in Scotland or in Wales respectively.
Moreover, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is directly responsible in Scotland for matters relating to schools and to non-university institutions of higher education—colleges of education and technical colleges—is brought into consultation on major issues affecting the relationships between universities on the one hand, and Scottish schools or other institutions of higher education on the other. In addition to the usual processes of consultation between Ministers, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is for this reason represented at meetings of the University Grants Committee by the Secretary of the Scottish Education Department as an assessor. The Secretary for Welsh Education, with whom my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales keeps in close and regular contact, is being joined to the Committee as an assessor.
On matters of special concern to Scotland or to Wales, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales respectively may, by arrangement with my right hon. Friend the Secretary 438W of State for Education and Science, answer Questions in the House.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is solely responsible for making submissions to The Queen in respect of Regius appointments at Scottish universities, and for Parliamentary issues relating to the Universities (Scotland) Acts.