To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the introduction of the arrangements for the national curriculum under the Education Reform Act 1988; and what action is being taken to reduce the burden of form filling by teachers.
We need the national curriculum to raise standards in our schools. There is welcome evidence from Her Majesty's inspectorate that many schools are making satisfactory progress with implementing the national curriculum. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is taking
| Company | Date of privatisation | Net proceeds to HMC £ million | Number of shareholders | Profit/(loss) before privatisation £ million |
| British Petroleum (residue sale) | 1979 | 276 | ||
| 1981 | 8 | |||
| 1983 | 543 | |||
| 1987 | 5,322 | 592,602 | n/a | |
| British Aerospace | 1981 | 43 | 97,600 | 52·8 |
| 1985 | 347 | |||
| Cable and Wireless | 1981 | 181 | 170,146 | 64·1 |
| 1983 | 263 | |||
| 1985 | 580 | |||
| Amersham International | 1982 | 60 | 5,854 | 4·8 |
| National Freight Consortium | 1982 | 53 | 145,000 | 4·3 |
| Britoil2 | 1982 | 626 | 165,200 | 423·1 |
| 1985 | 426 | |||
| Associated British Ports | 1983 | 46 | 112,000 | 5·5 |
| 1984 | 51 | |||
| Enterprise Oil | 1984 | 382 | 10,207 | 83·2 |
| Sealink (trade sale) | 1984 | 3— | n/a | 12·8 |
| Jaguar | 1984 | 3— | 441,789 | 50 |
| British Telecom | 1984 | 3,681 | 1,203,243 | 990 |
| British Shipbuilders Warship Yards (trade sale) | 1984–85 | 3— | n/a | 18 |
| British Gas | 1986 | 57,731 | 2,695,450 | 782 |
| British Airways | 1987 | 850 | 38,350 | 195 |
great care that the new requirements are introduced in a way that does not overburden teachers. He has been particularly concerned to limit the paperwork required of teachers and has taken a number of steps to this effect, including, for example, changes to the proposed requirements for statutory curriculum information.