HC Deb 05 March 1991 vol 187 cc107-8W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will announce a decision on the Bird report on the future of the Council for National Academic Awards and related issues.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The right for institutions to award their own degrees cannot be taken as an issue on its own. The report also raises important questions about which institutions should have this right, and about the nature of future quality assurance arrangements. We need to consider these further.