§ 45. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give guidance to further education colleges about the possibility of changing the patterns of terms and vacations to fit the needs of Manpower Services Commission training courses, which require colleges to be open for at least 48 weeks per year.
§ Mr. William SheltonI believe that the local education authorities and the further education colleges are already generally aware of the need for a flexible response to the demands of the MSC youth programmes so as to ensure their success. Progress towards an extended college year is one aspect of this, and my right hon. Friend expects that colleges will seek to move in this direction wherever it is feasible to do so, to meet the needs of young people entering the programmes and to integrate the college provisions with the work experience provided by scheme sponsors.