§ Mrs. McCurleyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the future of the Consultative Committee on the Curriculum.
§ Mr. RifkindAs I announced on 7 February 1986 in answer to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Corrie) at column 276–7, the Consultative Committee on the Curriculum is one of a number of bodies on which a review is currently being carried out as part of the Government's programme of regular reviews of non-departmental public bodies. This review will have implications for the CCC's remit, structure and priorities. In particular it will have to consider the means of ensuring that in future the pace of curricular change is more closely related to the ability of the education service to deliver it effectively. I have therefore decided that the appointment of a new Consultative Committee on the Curriculum, which is due in August 1986, should be deferred for a year until August 1987 in order to allow any changes arising from the review to be implemented before the new body takes office. I am concerned moreover that a new CCC should secure at the outset the full support of the teaching profession for its work and believe that postponement of the appointment of a new CCC will help to ensure this.
455WMy Department is therefore writing today to the chairman and members of the present CCC inviting them to continue in office in order to continue and complete current work. I am very grateful to the present membership for the valuable work done by the CCC during its current term of office and hope that they will be prepared to serve for a further year.