§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 28 March,Official Report, columns 520-21, what evaluation he has made of the literacy programmes mentioned in his answer.
§ Mr. Robin SquireAs I said in my answer of 28 March, the reading recovery trial is still in progress, as is the independent research project sponsored by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority. We will evaluate the programme once the trial and the research project have been completed.
Of the other GEST-funded literacy projects, some have only just been completed; others will not finish until March 1995. They will be evaluated in due course.
The adult literacy and basic skills unit is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the family literacy initiative. The unit will report to my right hon. Friend when the initiative has concluded.
The increased grant to the volunteer reading help—VRH—organisation is to help it expand its operation, 117W particularly in the north of England. The organisation provides regular information to the Department on numbers of volunteers trained and placed with schools. The evidence provided by VRH is that its work provides an effective contribution to the raising of reading standards.