asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will arrange for the inspectorate to examine instruction methods for the learning of classical and colloquial Chinese in view of the increasing importance of Chinese contacts to the British economy.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the need for appropriate Chinese language studies. Her Majesty's Inspectors are informed of current instruction methods for the learning of Chinese. The Department is contributing, together with the Nuffield Foundation and the Universities China Committee, towards research at Cambridge University to develop intensive methods for the learning of Chinese. The results of this research will be available to Her Majesty's Inspectors.