§ 25. Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what ministerial discussions have taken place with Roman Catholic representatives on the Chilver report; and what has been their tenor.
§ Mr. ScottI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the discussion I had on the interim report. I have had detailed discussions with the Roman Catholic bishops, the staff of the voluntary colleges and various lay representatives including students from both the institutions involved. While Church representatives continue to be concerned about the impact of the Chilver proposals on the voluntary colleges, I have given repeated assurances that no steps will be taken which would be detrimental to their denominational ethos.