§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what support she is giving to the 1979 international mathematical olympiad; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe 21st international mathematical olympiad, a mathematical contest for secondary school pupils, is to be held in London in July under the sponsorship of the Schools Mathematics Project and the Mathematical Association. Some 28 overseas countries have been invited to take part and my Department has agreed to make a financial contribution of up to £15,000 towards its overall costs. I welcome the decision to hold the olympiad in this country, and I hope that those secondary schools in the United Kingdom which have not already done so will consider entering suitable candidates for the preliminary competitions.