HC Deb 24 July 1991 vol 195 cc574-5W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the committee to make recommendations on the future development of environmental provision within further and higher education will be established; and what will be its terms of reference.

Mr. Fallon

[pursuant to his reply, 16 May 1991, c. 219–20]: The terms of reference of this committee will be: In the light of available evidence on the levels and main forms of environmental knowledge, skills and awareness which the workforce will need in order to respond to the current and anticipated requirements of the economy and society for greater environmental responsibility

  1. (a) to assess the main strengths and weaknesses of current environmental provision (excluding research) in further and higher education in England and Wales, taking account of the treatment of environmental issues within the generality of scientific, technological and vocational course curricula as well as the provision of courses which are principally concerned with specific aspects of environmental management or with environmental issues more generally; and
  2. (b) to recommend priorities for the future development of environmental further and higher education (as defined in (a) above), with particular reference to
    1. (i) the respective roles of initial education and vocational continuing education and training concerned with the updating of knowledge and skills
    2. (ii) the relative priority to be accorded to the different strands of provision identified in (a) above,
    3. (iii) the most effective and practicable means of strengthening the treatment of environmental issues (where relevant) within vocational courses which are not themselves specifically environmental in focus
    4. (iv) the role of interdisciplinary courses in Environmental Science or Environmental Studies.
The recommendations at (b) should be directed, as appropriate, to further and higher education institutions, examining and validating bodies, professional institutions, and other bodies with significant influence on the content of curricula within further and higher education.

The committee will start work in the autumn, and will be asked to present its report within 12 months. Its chairman will be Professor Peter Toyne, rector of the Liverpool polytechnic. I will write to the hon. Member setting out the committee's membership when this is finalised, and will arrange for a copy of my letter to be placed in the Library.

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