§ Sir Patrick Wallasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he has agreed to end nautical education at the Humberside college of higher education; and if he has taken into account the repercussions of this decision on the Humberside region.
§ Mr. BrookeIn deciding to withdraw approval for certain advanced courses, principally those leading to the Department of Transport's certificates of competency for deck and engineer officers, at the Humberside college of higher education, my right hon. Friend took account of the advice of the national advisory body for local authority higher education—NAB—concerning the substantial national over-provision of these specialist courses. After considering all relevant factors, including the proportion of students sponsored by the British shipping industry at each of the existing centres, he concluded that provision in this highly specialist area should, as advised by the NAB, be concentrated on four centres. Humberside college still has approval to provide courses in fisheries studies, marine radio and electronics.
My right hon. Friend took account of the interrelationship of each college's provision with the local economy but felt obliged to conclude that rationalisation of provision, on the lines now determined, was in the national interest.