asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions took place between officials of his Department and the National Union of Teachers before he concluded that teachers of mathematics, science and shortage subjects should be eligible for higher pay awards than other teachers.

I have reached no such conclusion. My open letter of 21 May to the education chairmen of the local authority associations, a copy of which is in the Library, said:

"The Government envisages an agreement which would require employers to promote more teachers than under the existing system to the higher salary scales, exercising their discretion in doing so in the light of the quality of teachers' work and the demand for their skills and qualifications elsewhere."