HC Deb 24 June 1981 vol 7 c110W
Mr. Whitney

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has settled the composition of the four groups of General Certificate of Education and Certificate of Secondary Education boards which are to administer the proposed single system of examinations at 16-plus; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mark Carlisle

Yes. The composition of the four groups in England will be as follows:

Northern The Joint Matriculation Board and the Associated Lancashire Schools Examining Board, the North Regional Examinations Board, the North-West Regional Examinations Board, The West Yorkshire and Lindsay Regional Examining Board, the Yorkshire Regional Examinations Board, operating in the territory of five Northern CSE boards—with the addition of the part of Humberside now covered by the East Midland Regional Examinations Board, but excluding the part of Lincolnshire now covered by The West Yorkshire and Lindsay Regional Examining Board.

Midlands The Cambridge University Local Examinations Syndicate, Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examinations Board, the Southern Universities joint Board, the East Midland Regional Examinations Board and The West Midlands Regional Examinations Board, operating in the territory of the two Midlands CSE boards—with the addition of Cambridgeshire and the whole of Lincolnshire but excluding the part of Humberside at present covered by the EMREB.

London and East Anglia The London University Entrance and School Examinations Council, the East Anglian Examinations Board (EAEB) and the London Regional Examining Board (LREB), operating in the territory of EAEB and LREB—with the addition of the London boroughs which now form part of the South-East Regional Examinations Board (SEREB).

Southern The Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations, the Associated Examining Board, the South-East Regional Examinations Board, the Southern Regional Examinations Board and the South-Western Regional Examinations Board, operating in the territory of the three southern CSE boards—excluding the London boroughs which at present form part of SEREB.

This scheme will require the modification of the articles of association of a number of the CSE boards in relation to the areas they cover. The boards are aware that I am ready to approve such modifications: it is intended that schools should be free to choose the examinations set by any group of boards.