§ Mr. Maloneasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement about the Scottish tertiary education advisory council.
§ Mr. YoungerI have decided to appoint the Scottish tertiary education advisory council with the following terms of reference
To consider and report on the future strategy for higher education in Scotland, including the arrangements for providing institutions with financial support and the general principles which should govern relationships between universities and other institutions; to advise the Secretary of State on such other matters as he may remit to the Council; and to collaborate as necessary with the University Grant Committee, the National Advisory Bodies for local authority higher education in England and Wales, the Manpower Services Commission and other appropriate bodies.My decision that the council should undertake a review of higher education strategy in Scotland has been taken with the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. The review will complement the strategy reviews already begun by the University Grants Committee in relation to the universities and by the national advisory body for local authority higher education in England; and I shall expect the council to take into account the implications of projections of demand for higher education places in Scotland produced by my Department. I hope that the review will be completed within about a year from the council's starting work. In the light of this review, my right hon. Friend and I have agreed that we should not meet the request which was made to us last year by Aberdeen university to set up an inquiry into higher education in Aberdeen.
I am glad to announce that Mr. Donald McCallum, director and general manager of Ferranti plc has accepted my invitation to be chairman of the council. The membership will be announced as soon as possible.