HC Deb 01 December 1987 vol 123 cc755-6
14. Mr. Holt

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when it is anticipated that a date will be announced for the opening of the Teesside city technology college in Langbaurgh.

Mrs. Rumbold

There has been considerable interest in the establishment of a CTC on Teesside. A number of possible sites have been suggested and are being examined. It is too soon to announce the date of opening.

Mr. Holt

This is very disappointing, because the site at Langbaurgh was earmarked first. If the Government are putting CTCs in areas of greatest need in order to improve inner cities, Solihill does not seem to me to have quite the same priority as Langbaurgh. I hope that my hon. Friend will review her answer and come back with an early date.

Mrs. Rumbold

I am sure that my hon. Friend will know that we are doing our best to make sure that Teesside has a CTC as soon as possible, so that his constituency and the parents of children there will be able to benefit from it.

Miss Mowlam

In response to an earlier question about CTCs the Minister told us that she was keen that they should follow the national curriculum. If she is so keen, why was that not put in the Bill?

Mrs. Rumbold

For the hon. Lady's information, the recommendation is that all the CTCs should follow the broad plans of the national curriculum and have plenty of opportunity within the time that is not so allocated to pursue those parts of technology and science that are important to them. They will have greater scope in their freedom to do that.