Higher Education Courses (Select Committee Report) (Hansard, 27 July 1981)

§ Mr. Mark Carlisle

Yes. The text of my letter of 23 July is as follows:

"Dear Christopher,

FURTHER REPLY TO THE REPORT (OCTOBER 1980) ON HIGHER EDUCATION FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND THE ARTS. Since the appearance of Cmnd. 8139, in which the Government offered its initial observations on the Fifth Report (1979–80 Session) of the Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts, 'The Funding and Organisation of Courses in Higher Education', we have exchanged letters about the production of the Government's further response, which would deal with the outstanding recommendations and in particular with the area of policy centred on your Recommendations 7–9 (to which Recommendation 41 refers). I can now let you have this further response, which takes the form partly of the enclosed Consultative Document entitled 'Higher Education in England Outside the Universities: Policy, Funding and Management'. This paper, to be published on Monday 27 July, bears not only in fact on Recommendations 7–9 but also on Nos. 10 and 18. As we are issuing a Consultative Document, I hope the Select Committee will continue to play an active part in this debate. In view of the public interest in the Committee's report, I shall be releasing this letter to the Press along with the Consultative Document. There are some recommendations or parts of recommendations which did not come within the scope of Cmnd. 8139, and which have not received specific attention in the Consultative Document. In some instances this is because a reply is impossible in advance of a decision on a new central body in the non-university sector, and in others it would be inappropriate to respond in respect of universities in isolation: this applies to Recommendations 11, 13, 14, 15, 20 and 36a. I turn now to other recommendations on which the Government do have something further to say, in two cases because developments have occurred since Cmnd. 8139 was produced: Recommendation 17 (first part): As noted in Cmnd. 8139 in response to Recommendation 16, the Government have made known the near certainty that the advanced course approval system in its present form will be abandoned. So far as the immediate future is concerned, Regional Staff Inspectors are likely to continue in a course approval role, but we are examining whether any relaxation of procedures might be possible in recognition of the longer term changes in prospect. Recommendation 30: On 14 May 1981, the Manpower Services Commission published proposals which they had prepared at the Government's request for the setting up of an 'Open Tech' programme. The aim is to open up opportunities for education and training for people employed at the technician or supervisory level and to meet the needs of industry. More specifically, the proposal is for the establishment of an Open Tech Unit, probably within the MSC: the Unit would be concerned with promoting, managing and stimulating, funding or supporting projects and initiatives of various kinds, and would be under the direction of a steering body representing industrial, educational and Government interests. The MSC consultative document has been commended for wide consideration by the Secretary of State for Employment and myself, and the Government will wish to study reactions to it before deciding on further action later this year. Recommendation 39: You may remember that I announced in April that the existing system of student support by means of grants only would be retained. Though a system combining grants and loans has merit and is feasible, a satisfactory scheme would involve additional costs in the early years that could not be accommodated in present economic circumstances.