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Business of the House

Without transgressing the objective of my deputy's note, which I have now worked out was telling me to shut up, perhaps I can try to engage in answering the right hon. Gentleman's point. There were serious delivery failures by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and they caused delays to the release of results for 11 to 14-year-olds. That was unacceptable. Ministers had pressed on several occasions for reassurances that delivery was on track, and the Government acted swiftly to respond once it was clear that there would be unacceptable delays. We announced Lord Sutherland's review. There was an error, which was put right, and we await the Select Committee's report. If agencies are running something and it goes wrong, they must be called to account, an investigation must be conducted and action must be taken. That is the responsibility of Ministers.