HC Deb 05 June 1967 vol 747 cc143-4W
Mr. Judd

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement about the advisory board which he proposes to set up in connection with the fund to relieve the impact of higher rates of fees on overseas students.

Mr. Crosland

On 20th April I announced proposals for the administration of this fund upon which I was seeking the views of interested organisations. In the light of the comments we have received my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have now decided to establish the fund, broadly on the lines proposed. A feature of the arrangements to which we attach particular importance is the Advisory Board, and I am glad to say that Mr. T. A. F. Noble, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, has agreed to serve as its Chairman.

The other members who have agreed to serve on the Advisory Board are:

  • Mr. N. Doodson (County Treasurer for Lancashire).
  • Mr. Lyndon H. Jones (The Principal of South-West London College).
  • Lady Llewelyn Davies.
  • The Very Rev. R. L. Small (Ex-Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland).
  • Mr. R. J. Stewart (Clerk of the Court, London University).
  • Mr. J. H. Taylor (Chief Education Officer, Leeds).

Mr. R. Twite (British Council) will act as Secretary to the Board and Mr. Geoffrey Martin, President of the National Union of Students, and Mr. George Foulkes, President of the Scottish Union of Students, are being invited to act as assessors.

The Board's terms of reference will be: To advise the British Council on the administration and disbursement of sums made available to the Overseas Students' Special Fund established in the light of the higher level of fees operating from September, 1967, to contribute to the assistance of overseas students found to be in need of help in meeting the increased fees, being existing students or students committed to entry to a course in Autumn, 1967, and, in particular, to prevent existing students from developing countries having, on account of such higher fees, to curtail courses of study which they have a reasonable prospect of completing satisfactorily.