HC Deb 02 July 2002 vol 388 c198 10.27 pm
Mr. Patrick Hall (Bedford)

I am pleased to present this petition of more than 800 signatures of staff and students at Bedford college of further education, organised by the Bedford college branch of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education.

I add my personal support for the petition and my thanks to the staff, students and governors of Bedford college for their hard work and for the important part that they play in the social and economic life of Bedford and Kempston.

The branch: Declares that it believes that the Government must invest more resources into further education and provide earmarked funding for the following purposes: to provide fair pay and conditions for all college staff and to end low pay, to bring lecturers' pay into line with that of teachers in schools and sixth form colleges, to bring the pay of support staff into line with that of comparable groups and to ensure equal pay for work of equal value. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to review the Government's present policy on the funding of further education. And the Petitioners remain, etc.

To lie upon the Table.