asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has to the subjects and the syllabi for which there are no suitable text books available for schools providing General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.

The introduction of the GCSE does not require the wholesale replacement of existing textbooks: the need is rather for these to be supplemented and updated over time. The GCSE examining groups have given the Educational Publishers' Council every possible assistance to enable a full range of GCSE text books to be produced, and many have already been published. The Government have, of course, provided substantial resources to ensure that schools are able to purchase additional books and equipment for GCSE courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is now taking to ensure that General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations are satisfactorily funded.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 26 February 1987.