HC Deb 14 May 1986 vol 97 c698
9. Mr. Lawler

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the aims and the objectives of the national educational resources information service.

Mr. Butcher

The national educational resources information service is a computer-based service for schools. It will provide information on educational resource material directly relevant to the school curriculum and is designed to assist teachers. It is interactive and can be accessed by means of a local telephone call.

As my hon. Friend the Minister for Information Technology announced at the press briefing on 28 April, the service will be available from January 1987. It is being financed for three years by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Mr. Lawler

I thank my hon. Friend for spelling out the detail on that service, which I am sure will be welcomed by all teachers. To ensure that there is wide usage, can my hon. Friend ensure that individual teachers are told clearly how they can gain access to the information database?

Mr. Butcher

There is a considerable degree of marketing of the scheme. I know that my hon. Friend takes a close interest in the training of young people and in maximising their chances of finding employment. Provided that schools have a modem attached to their existing or new micro-computers they can gain access to the central database very easily, for the cost of a local telephone call.