asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what steps he is taking to increase the numbers of British teachers taking up teacher-training posts in the developing countries.

An increase in this important field will depend on increased demands from overseas Governments, because we are meeting current requests satisfactorily. One of my educational advisers has just attended a conference designed to encourage the development of teacher training in East Africa. The informal Advisory Panel mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member of 23rd July has been asked to give special attention to improved methods of aid in this field.

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that he told me recently that out of 542 teachers sent under secondment schemes only about 30 had gone to teacher-training courses and, perhaps, an unspecified number, about whom he did not know, had also gone to do such work in an indirect way? Is not this a failure of the kind of educational planning which we are undertaking, and cannot the Minister do something to ensure that the people we do send overseas go to really sensitive points where the service they give can have maximum effect?

I certainly want to encourage aid of this kind, but it does depend on the overseas Governments. We are taking measures to try to get the right sort of requests.