Written question asked by Lindsay Hoyle (Labour) on Friday, 6 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 June 2008. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Education: Assessments

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy to compensate markers who have experienced delays in receiving SAT papers and consequently not received payment for work.

Answer: The administration of national curriculum tests is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) administers the tests on their behalf. I have therefore asked David Gee, Managing Director of the NAA, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.Letter from David Gee, dated 11 June 2008:"I have been asked to write to you in response to your parliamentary question about payments to markers of national curriculum tests.""As part of the contract for delivering national curriculum tests for key stages 2 and 3, the test operations agency, ETS Europe, is required to arrange for the accurate marking of all test papers. ETS Europe is meeting this requirement by directly contracting individuals to undertake marking work. The contract of employment, which is subject to UK law, is a private matter between individual markers and their employer. As such, any issues relating to the contract of employment, such as compensatory payments, are private matters and not matters of Government policy."

Secondary information