To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the names of the chairmen and chief executive of both the further and higher education funding councils for Wales.

Subject to the Further and Higher Education Bill receiving Royal Assent, I intend to appoint Mr. Malcolm Wallace to be chairman of the Further Education Funding Council and Sir Idris Pearce to be chairman of the Higher Education Council. Both will be employed as chairmen designate on preparatory work.I have also decided after consulting the chairmen designate, that the councils should be serviced by a single secretariat. This should make close working arrangements between the two bodies very much easier. The important post of chief executive of the two councils will be filled by Professor John Andrews.