Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements are being made to ensure that teachers get the earliest possible benefit from the recommendations of the Houghton Committee.
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§ Mr. PrenticeThe Burnham Committee agreed on 13th November that a uniform payment on account should be made as soon as possible after agreement on the amount of such a payment had been reached at the first meeting of the Burnham Committee to be held after the receipt of the report of the Committee of Inquiry. The hope was expressed that payments would be made to full-time teachers at the end of January and to part-time teachers in regular service at the end of February.
Lord Houghton and his colleagues on the Comittee of Inquiry have subsequently informed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and me that they think that the committee will have determined the broad basis of its recommendations by the beginning of December and that they expect at that stage to suggest the amount of a flat-rate payment on account which could be made after the report has been submitted, without conflicting with the committees conclusions. I welcome this. I am arranging to inform the Burnham Committees and the Pelham Committee of it so that they may, if they see fit, consider expediting their arrangements.