§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will arrange for inspectors from Her Majesty's Inspectorate to visit any relevant college or colleges in Scotland which might be designated as a centre of excellence, with a view to giving expert evidence to the Government in this connection in the interests of sport in Scotland;
(2) whether he will take measures to ensure that a suitable college or colleges in Scotland are designated as a centre or centres of excellence, in accordance with the terms of the White Paper on Sport and Recreation;
(3) if it is his policy to encourage the creation of centres of excellence in Scotland in colleges, in accordance with the 29W terms of the White Paper on Sport and Recreation.
(4) whether he is now considering the possibility of designating any college in Scotland as a centre of excellence in the interests of sport; and which college or colleges are now being considered as possible centres of excellence.
§ Mr. McElhoneThe White Paper on Sport and Recreation applied to England, Wales and Northern Ireland only, but the Scottish Sports Council has been asked to examine the possibility of establishing centres of excellence in Scotland. It has been consulting various bodies with an interest in this matter, including the relevant colleges of education, and my right hon. Friend expects to have its report before the end of the year. When the Council's recommendations have been received, my right hon. Friend will consider them carefully. As part of the consultations on my right hon. Friend's proposals for teacher training from 1977 onwards issued in January, the Council submitted suggestions for the possible future use of the Dunfermline College of Physical Education for sports purposes and these are being considered.