§ Mr. Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about university education in Wales, and the future of the Welsh College of Advanced Technology.
§ Mr. CroslandYes. I was glad to learn that the Court of the University of Wales has accepted proposals, worked out after long and careful study, for dealing with the problems arising from the federal constitution of the university, to which the Robbins Committee drew attention. I understand that the University will shortly he petitioning for the necessary amendments to its Charter, and I hope that all concerned will now work together to achieve the objectives of the new constitution, whatever differences they may have had in the past.
In the light of this, and after considering the advice of the University Grants Committee, the Government have concluded that they cannot support the establishment of the Welsh College of Advanced Technology as a separate degree-giving university. An alternative road to University status is afforded by the invitation which the College has received from the University of Wales to become a full constituent member of the University; the Government are confident that such an arrengement would contribute to the development of the College as a centre of higher technological education. The Government have much sympathy with the idea of an association between College of Advanced Technology, University College, Cardiff and the Welsh National School of Medicine, but believe that this can well be worked out within the framework of the University of Wales.