2 November 2004 British politician Fabian Hamilton has expressed the hope that ORTs expertise in teaching young people practical skills will one day be put to use in England. The governing Labour Partys Member of Parliament for the constituency of North East Leeds, Mr Hamilton visited World ORTs administrative headquarters in London today to find out more about the organisations activities. Its been a real eye-opener, Mr Hamilton said after his meeting with World ORT Director General Robert Singer, Deputy Director General Gideon Meyer, British ORT Co-Chairman Alan Goldman, World ORT Board of Directors member Mark Mishon and the Acting Head of World ORTs Education and Technology Department, Judah Harstein. Fabian Hamilton MP (centre) shares his passion for education with British ORT Co-Chairman Alan Goldman (left) and World ORT Board of Directors member Mark Mishon at ORT House. I didnt know much about ORT before I came here today. Its great to learn about an organisation that has been doing such wonderful work in education for 125 years as you have, Mr Hamilton said. Founded in St Petersburg in 1880, World ORT is the worlds largest Jewish education and vocational training organisation in the world with more than 270,000 students Jewish and non-Jewish in some 60 countries. Currently, British ORT has focused on raising funds for projects around the world, but Mr Hamilton felt that there was a need for ORTs educational expertise in Britain as well. I think it would be good to see ORT doing a little bit more in parts of the United Kingdom, with the help of the United Kingdom authorities, he said. Mr Hamilton, who sits on Parliaments Foreign Affairs Select Committee, is well known for his interest in education. In his first speech to Parliament after being elected in 1997, Mr Hamilton said: In the end, it is the welfare and the quality of education for our children which count, and I welcome anything that will improve that education. At ORT House today, Mr Hamilton said: Education is a passion with me. I have a direct interest in education as a father of three children. They have been well served by public education and I want the education system to get better and better. Its only through education that we will improve the problems of the world. Mr Singer, World ORTs Director General, said: Our meeting with Mr Hamilton is a development of the very important relations between ORT and Members of Parliament who see education as one of their priorities. I believe we have found a lot of common ground for the continued development of these relations in the future.