Written question asked by Nick Gibb (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 July 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 October 2008. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Monday, 6 October 2008 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

National Curriculum Tests

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) pursuant to the oral statement of 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 680, on SATS, if he will place in the Library the advice to him which stated that ministerial statements intended to influence the outcome of contractual discussions between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and ETS Europe would jeopardise the public interest;

Answer: The Department does not routinely publish advice to Ministers. It would only be in rare circumstances that such publication would be in the public interest. Publication would adversely affect the candour of officials' advice to Ministers and discourage the exploration of radical options. It would undermine the confidential relationship between officials and Ministers and compromise ministerial thinking space. There is also a public interest in protecting the principle of legal professional privilege.In his oral statement to the House on 22 July 2008 the Secretary of State made clear that the contractual discussions between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and ETS Europe were commercially, legally and financially highly sensitive. It was in the public interest that QCA should be allowed to conclude those discussions in a timely, orderly and rigorous fashion.They were concluded on 15 August when the QCA announced that they had agreed with ETS to dissolve their five-year contract for national curriculum tests operations with immediate effect.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 480 c494W; 223074
Session: 2007-08
Related items: SATs Testing
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Commons
Subjects: National curriculum tests
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk