asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the report on Education and Training for Offshore Development.

I welcome this important and useful report. The working party which produced it included representatives of the Scottish Education Department and the Scottish Economic Planning Department, and these departments will in the immediate future take part in the Government's discussions with the Petroleum Industry Training Board on several of the report's recommendations.

Without anticipating the answer to a later Question, will the Secretary of State indicate what representations he intends to make to the Petroleum Industry Training Board about this centre for drilling? Will he indicate how much more money will be available through the University Grants Committee and his own Department to institutions of higher education which are likely to be engaged in ventures springing from the report?

One of the recommendations is that there should be further discussions about the centre to which the hon. Gentleman has referred with the Petroleum Industry Training Board, and my Department will be taking part in those negotiations.

Will the Secretary of State answer the question posed by my hon. Friend the Member for East Stirlingshire (Mr. Douglas)? What is the Scottish Office's attitude?

I cannot answer the question the hon. Gentleman has just put to me without anticipating the answer to Question No. 18, which I shall come to shortly.