§ Mr. John E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to improve the exchange of information on modern language teaching with other European countries.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeAs my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced this afternoon, steps are being taken to improve the exchange of information on modern language teaching with other European countries. The United Kingdom has played a full part in the Council of Europe's programme for the encouragement of modern language teaching. This programme has led to regular meetings of modern language experts and to proposals for certain national institutions to assume responsibility for co-ordinating the exchange of information on particular aspects of modern language teaching. One of these proposals is that a leading British institution, the Centre for Information on 247W Language Teaching, should undertake in co-operation with the British Council's English Teaching Information Centre to provide a European centre for information on current research in modern language teaching. The Government have now agreed to provide the centre with the funds required for this purpose and it is expected that a contract will shortly be negotiated with the Council of Europe.