§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he has rejected an appeal submitted to him by the adult literacy and basic skills unit to establish a legal framework for education authorities to provide basic education for adults.
§ Sir Keith JosephI have received no such appeal from the adult literacy and basic skills unit. In response to a question put to me recently at the unit's 10th anniversary conference, I made clear my view that the case for amending the existing provisions of the Education Act 1944 had not been made out. New legislation, which would inevitably be complex, would I believe distract attention and energy from other important initiatives, such as the literacy campaign itself, in the further education field. The duties imposed by section 41 of the 1944 Act apply no less to adult education than to other areas of further education.