College of Europe (Hansard, 20 July 1989)

§ Mr. Hunter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the purpose and role of the College of Europe.

§ Mr. Eggar
The College of Europe at Bruges is a good and effective institution for spreading understanding of the Community and promoting study of it. It provides post-graduate training for European, including British, students to equip them for entry into the European Commission.

§ Mr. Hunter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost of the College of Europe to United Kingdom public funds in each year since 1970 in 1989 money.

§ Mr. Eggar
We have made an annual grant of £2,500 to the college since 1963.
336W

§ Mr. Hunter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the total cost of the College of Europe to European public funds in each year since 1970 in 1989 money.

§ Mr. Eggar
In 1987, the latest year for which such figures are available, the total cost of the College of Europe to European public funds was 79 million Belgian francs. The Belgian authorities contributed 67 million Belgian francs of this figure.

§ Mr. Hunter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he intends to take to ensure that the College of Europe is an effective forum for the exchange of ideas about the possible future development of the European Community.

§ Mr. Eggar
No further measures are necessary. The representative of the British Council in Belgium sits on the college's administrative council and is actively involved in all aspects of the college, including its curriculum.