§ Mr. Favellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the future of the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerI am of course aware of the views expressed in the third report from the Education, Science204W and Arts Committee (House of Commons 40–1) and the Government will offer a full response to this report in due course. I do not propose to anticipate that in any detailed way, but I do wish to make plain my confidence in the council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The council was established only after the fullest consultation with all the major interest groups and there was similar wide consultation about the basis for its scrutiny of teacher training programmes. I believe that the council is contributing substantially to the improvement of initial teacher training. It is carrying out that important task effectively and with tact and consideration. It has my full confidence. In due course the council will complete its remit. I will then review the position, but meantime I propose no change in its terms of reference or the criteria to which it is working.