§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will reconsider her decision to end her Department's support for adult literacy work in March 1978.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what 818W plans she has to maintain and extend the adult literacy programme.
§ Mrs. Shirley Williams:The Government's contribution of some £1 million in 1975–76, disbursed through the Adult Literacy Resource Agency to support local education authorities and relevant voluntary organisations, was intended neither to cover the whole cost of provision nor to be more than a limited pump-priming effort to enable adult literacy to become a firmly established part of local authority provision. It was announced in March 1976 that this injection of funds would be extended for two further years, after which provision would be wholly a charge on local sources of finance.
I have, however, been considering the recommendations for the future made by the Resource Agency in its report on activities in 1976–77, published on 18th October but transmitted earlier to me through its parent body, the National Institute of Adult Education. Like them, I consider that the Agency's modest financial pump-priming in the local education authority field should cease as planned on 31st March 1978, and I share their confidence that authorities, having responded well to the literacy needs revealed by the campaign, will ensure continued provision in the future.
I also agree with the Agency and Institute that the further development of the adult literacy service needs to be considered in the broader context of a strategy for adult basic education as a whole. As a first step I am urgently seeking the advice of the newly established Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education on a coherent strategy for basic education provision so that we can most effectively build on the achievement of the adult literacy campaign.
In the meantime, I agree that some continued focus for adult literacy matters would be desirable and I am consulting the National Institute and others on the detail of the proposal which, in principle, I am prepared to consider for grant aid. I am also consulting on the difficult question of continuing support for voluntary literacy organisations which has still to be resolved, and on how far local authority provision for adult literacy can be reflected in the RSG settlement.
819WI will make a further announcement as soon as possible.