§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what representations have been made to him regarding(a) the issue by the various examination boards of written notices of corrections to the sample on the actual General Certificate of Secondary Education examination papers, and (b) the extent to which those notices were available to schools in time for the mock or actual General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations;
(2) what representations have been made to him about misprints and factual mistakes in (a) the sample General Certificate of Secondary Education examination papers and (b) the actual General Certificate of Secondary Education examination papers which were issued to schools;
(3) what representations have been made to him regarding (a) failure and (b) delay by the various examination boards in England regarding queries from schools on the General Certificate of Secondary Education examination syllabus and papers.
§ Mrs. RumboldMy right hon. Friend and I have received some 50 letters since July 1987 about alleged administrative failures on the part of the independent examination boards and examining groups. The Secondary Examinations Council and the examining groups are collaborating to review the experience of the first GCSE examinations this summer and to make any necessary administrative improvements quickly.