§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessments have been made by his Department of the likely impact on(a) teacher recruitment, (b) teacher retention and (c) wage rates of a decision by an individual local education authority to leave the national machinery for the determination of teachers' pay and conditions.
§ Mr. EggarThe Government believe that individual local education authorities should be free to determine the pay and conditions of their teachers locally, subject to approval by the Secretary of State of a proposal from the authority to that effect. I should expect such an authority to take account of local prospects for recruitment and retention in setting salary levels.