§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will give the numbers of members who are involved in primary and secondary education belonging to the various associations represented on the Burnham committee for primary and secondary education; and if he will make a statement giving the reasons for allocating one seat to the Professional Association of Teachers and one to the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education.
§ Dr. BoysonOn the question of membership of the teachers' associations, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 February—[Vol. 998, c.102]—to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet).
My right hon. and learned Friend decided that the Professional Association of Teachers had sufficient of its members employed in maintained schools in England and Wales to justify its being allocated one seat on the committee. Retention of representation of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education on the Burnham primary and secondary committee is justified by the fact that some matters common to teachers in schools and in further education—notably London allowances—are negotiated only in that committee.