§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the effect of his decision to reduce the number of students admitted to teacher training courses by 4,000 in September 1977 on the staffing of those colleges and university education departments.
§ Mr. Gerry FowlerThe figure of 4,000 is the difference between the level of intake recommended by the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Training of Teachers and that decided upon by my right hon. Friend. An estimate of the kind requested would be misleading, since the effect will depend largely on the degree to which staff will be redeployed on other teaching duties. The Government's policy is to secure as far as possible that institutions affected by the contraction of teacher training are able to diversify their provision.