§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, in view of the success of agriculture in Northern Ireland as a wealth-producing industry, he will discuss with the institutions of higher education the creation of links for manufacturing industry similar to those existing between the Department of Agriculture, Queen's University faculty of agriculture and the various agricultural colleges.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe agricultural science and economics departments of the faculty of agriculture and food science at Queen's University, Belfast are funded and staffed by the Department of Agriculture.
It is doubtful whether the complexity and diversity of manufacturing industry would lend itself to the creation of similar links, but higher education institutions in Northern Ireland have already taken steps to develop and formalise links with the industry in many areas of work. These include the low cost automation centre and materials testing station at Queen's University, Belfast; the teaching 736W company and the innovation and resource centre at the polytechnic: and pollution management and translation and interpreting services at the New University of Ulster, Coleraine.
I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on this subject on 28 February 1980.—[Vol. 979, c. 724.]