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Colleges of Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

I join others in thanking the Minister for his clarity in setting out the order. We are beginning to get the measure of his plain speaking, which we very much appreciate in Northern Ireland; he will find it uncommon among his new colleagues in Northern Ireland. I too was concerned about the issue of the formation of the board, bearing in mind the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Smith of Clifton, that you have in Northern Ireland two education colleges that reflect the division inside the community. You have a system of Catholic education, which does not make itself amenable to Section 75 of the Government of Northern Ireland Act, for reasons that are not exactly appropriate. The problem is that the churches, as we know, gave their schools and control of their schools in the 1920s, 1930s and the 1940s to the Department of Education. Therefore, they have held, as a position of honour, places on the board of Stranmillis. I listened very carefully to what the Minister said, that a compromise could be on the way. I very much approve of a compromise that ensures that the particular position of these churches is respected. I would like the Minister to inform us of the earliest possible occasion when such a compromise could be reached, and what the compromise is. I make one final remark to the noble Lord, Lord Smith of Clifton. I appreciate his kind remarks about the quality of teachers emerging from the two colleges. I think his remarks are very timely: I have been joined by a graduate of Stranmillis, the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass.