A-Levels

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Government intend to retain GCE A-levels; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are firmly committed to retaining A-levels and to strengthening them where possible. To this end, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have invited Dr. Gordon Higginson, vice-chancellor of the university of Southampton, to chair a small independent committee with the following terms of reference.

"In the light of the Government's commitment to retain general certificate of education advanced level examinations as an essential means for setting standards of excellence, and with the aim of maintaining or improving the present character and rigorous standards of these examinations:
—to recommend the principles that should govern GCE A-level syllabuses and their assessment, so that consistency in the essential content and the assessment of subjects is secured:
—to set out a plan of action for the subsequent detailed professional work required to give effect to these recommendations."

	'Elsewhere' Rate of Grant (£)	Real value in percentage terms (September 1962 = 100) deflated by increases in—				London Rate of Grant (£)	Real value in percentage terms (September 1962 =100) deflated by increases in—
		(a) Retail Prices	(b) Average Earnings	(c) Rents	(d) Book Prices		(a) Retail Prices	(b) Average Earnings	(c) Rents	(d) Book Prices
1962–63	320	100	100	100	100	330	100	100	100	100
1963–64	320	98	93	95	96	330	98	93	95	96
1964–65	320	94	86	91	92	330	94	86	91	92
1965–66	340	95	86	91	92	370	101	90	96	97
1966–67	340	92	80	86	89	370	97	85	91	94
1967–68	340	91	78	79	82	370	96	82	84	87
1968–69	360	91	76	81	82	395	97	81	86	87
1969–70	360	86	71	76	77	395	92	75	80	82
1970–71	380	85	66	74	75	420	91	71	79	80
1971–72	430	88	67	77	74	465	92	71	81	77
1972–73	445	85	62	71	71	480	88	65	74	75
1973–74	485	85	59	71	71	520	88	61	73	74
1974–75	605	90	62	83	69	665	96	66	89	74
1975–76	740	87	60	89	71	810	92	63	95	75
1976–77	875	90	62	91	72	955	95	65	97	77
1977–78	1,010	90	66	95	69	1,145	99	73	104	76
1978–79	1,100	91	63	94	69	1,315	105	73	109	80
1979–80	1,245	88	62	92	67	1,485	102	71	106	78
1980–81	1,430	88	58	81	65	1,695	101	67	93	75
1981–82	1,535	84	56	69	62	1,825	97	64	80	71
1982–83	1,595	82	53	66	55	1,900	94	62	77	64
1983–84	1,660	81	51	65	48	1,975	93	59	75	56
1984–85	1,775	83	52	65	47	2,100	95	60	75	53
1985–86	1,830	80	¹49	63	43	2,165	92	¹56	72	50
1986–87	1,901	81	47	64	43	2,246	93	54	74	50
² Adjusted
1984–85		80	50	63	45		92	58	73	52
1985–86		77	¹47	61	42		89	¹55	70	48
1986–87		78	46	61	42		90	53	71	48

The members of the committee are
Miss Sonia Beesley. Journalist and broadcaster.

Sir Roy Harding CBE. Former chief education officer of Buckinghamshire and former vice-chairman of the Secondary Examinations Council.

Mr. Graham Leech. Head of Range high school, Formby.

Mr. Mark Nicolson. Manager, Barclays Bank plc and chairman of the CBI under-35s group.

The committee will start work very shortly and has been asked to report by Easter 1988.

Volume 111: debated on Wednesday 25 February 1987