To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce his decisions in respect of the secondary schools which have applied for exemption from the provision in the national curriculum to teach Welsh to pupils in years one to three.

I am currently considering responses to the consultation on my proposals for Welsh in the national curriculum and aim to publish draft orders for attainment targets and programmes of study around the end of the year.I shall reach decisions about the case for exempting individual schools in good time for the beginning of implementation in Autumn 1990. Before doing so I shall want to consult the local education authorities for their views.