§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report details of those areas of work of his Department for which time cycles have been prepared covering the next 10 years or more; how far these have been budgeted for; what advice he has sought; and whether such planning has taken into account socio-economic models and the experience of other countries.
§ Mr. MulleyMy Department regularly prepares projections over the next 10 years or so covering, in particular, numbers of children of compulsory school age, the likely demand for higher education, and teacher supply. These projections are budgeted for in the usual way, within the rolling five-year public expenditure survey, but account is taken of foreseeable developments over the longer period. Advice is sought informally and formally on the use of these projections—an example of formal machinery is the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Training of Teachers. The planning takes account of social and 463W economic factors so far as the present state of knowledge allows, and research is conducted to improve that knowledge. Other countries' experience is tapped, for example through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and is then taken into account where it is relevant.