Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps his Department intends to take to give effect to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation council communiqu£ of 30 May, aimed at encouraging an increase of Soviet and eastern studies in universities of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries and of corresponding studies in eastern countries.
Mr. JacksonThe Department has been concerned for some time to improve teaching and research in Soviet and East European studies, and for this reason encouraged the University Grants Committee to set up a review of the state of undergraduate and postgraduate provision in this subject area. The work of the review working party has been carried forward under the auspices of the Universities Funding Council and I understand that it is due to report shortly. I shall be very interested to see the working party's report and recommendations.