§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to make conditions of service for teachers subject to Burnham committee procedures.
§ Dr. BoysonMy right hon. and learned Friend sees considerable merit in having unified national negotiating machinery covering teachers' pay and other conditions of service instead of the present statutory Burnham committees dealing with pay only and other quite separate arrangements covering non-pay matters. There have recently been extensive consultations with the local authority and teacher associations about the form of such new machinery and my right hon. and learned Friend is now considering how the principle of unified negotiations might best be put into effect, in the light of those consultations.