§ Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether any consideration has been given to utilising part of the facilities for higher education at St. Mary's and Northumberland Colleges for block release courses for training personnel in manufacturing industry.
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§ Miss Margaret JacksonThis is a matter in the first place for the Governors of St. Mary's and the local education authority respectively. My right hon. Friend has not received any proposals from them.
§ Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she has received any proposals from St. Mary's and Northumberland Colleges of Higher Education for diversification of their activities.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonMy right hon. Friend has received no specific proposals since her announcement on 24th January 1977 of her proposals to end initial teacher training at these institutions. Before that, the provision of courses at St. Mary's College for the degrees of Bachelor in General Studies with Honours, BA and BA (Hons) Humanities (Area Studies) and BA Theatre Arts had been approved, and a course for BA Humanities in Religion and Literature was under consideration. At Northumberland College the provision of courses for degrees of Bachelor in General Studies with Honours and BA General and for a Diploma of Higher Education had been approved.
§ Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if she will express in percentage terms the shortfall in higher education places which will ensue from the proposed closure of St. Mary's and Northumberland Colleges in the Northern Region;
(2) if she will express in percentage terms the shortfall in higher education places ensuing from proposed closures of colleges region by region.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonExcept for a few small annexes my right hon. Friend's proposals do not refer to closures but to the ending of teacher training. The effect on higher education provision of implementing these proposals will depend upon the use which is made of the premises.
§ Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if she will list the numbers of places in higher education per 1,000 of the population in the North Region.
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§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe numbers of full-time and sandwich students in higher education institutions in the regions per 1,000 of the population for the academic year 1975–76 are as follows:
North 7.9 Yorks/Humberside 10.2 North-West 8.5 East Midlands 7.8 West Midlands 8.1 East Anglia 9.6 Greater London 12.9 Other South-East 6.9 South-west 7.1 Wales 9.4 England and Wales 8.8 England 8.8