§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether she proposes to impose financial sanctions on the boards of eight of the national museums and galleries which may exercise their right to permit the public free access on one day a week;
(2) whether the financial sanctions which may be imposed on any of the national museums and galleries which 71W decide to permit free access on one day a week will take the form of a proportionate reduction of the annual grant for purchases of the individual institutions concerned.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeNeither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has any reason for thinking that the boards of trustees who have expressed themselves in favour of a free day intend to adopt a scheme of charges different from that proposed by the Government.
ATTAINMENTS OF PUPILS AGED 15 IN THE WATTS VERNON READING TEST Percentage 1961 (see note) Score Range 1948 1952 1956 A B 1971 35–31 … 9 9 9 14 18 14 30–23 … 34 39 43 53 48 48 22–18 … 27 22 23 17 17 19 17–9 … 24 25 21 14 15 16 8–3 … 5 4 4 2 2 3 2–0 … 1 1 0 0 0 0 Totals … 100 100 100 100 100 100
NOTE: The survey for 1961 excluded grammar and direct grant schools. The figures given for this year have been calculated by incorporating in column A the results obtained in 1956 by pupils from these schools and in column B an estimate of their results, based on the assumption that the performance of all pupils improved at a comparable rate between 1956 and 1961. A fuller discussion of the reservations to be attached to the figures for 1961 and 1971 is contained in the report "The Trend of Reading Standards".