§ 71. Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what studies have been undertaken by his Department as to the effect on education of the single European market, with special regard to the common recognition of degrees and the outlawing of bogus degrees.
Mr. JacksonThe implications of the single European market for education are kept under continuous review. In further and higher education, many courses already address employers' single market training needs; further demand can be expected to develop in a wide range of fields. The Education Reform Act 1988, in providing for increased involvement of employers in the government of all education institutions, will facilitate a direct response to that demand. The United Kingdom is participating fully under the European Community's ERASMUS programme in the development of a European credit transfer scheme designed to contribute to the recognition for academic purposes of higher education qualifications obtained and periods of study spent in different member states. The Government gave full support during negotiations in Brussels to the principle of the directive on a general system for the recognition of higher education diplomas for professional purposes which was adopted unanimously by the Council of Ministers on 21 December 1988. Finally, although not as part of any European Community initiative, the Government brought into effect on 30 November 1988 sections 214 to 216 of the Education Reform Act 1988 under which it is now a criminal offence to award, or to offer to award, an unrecognised United Kingdom degree.
At school level, the work of the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council will have regard to the resolution of the Council of Ministers on the European dimension in education.