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SATs Testing

As I said very clearly, I am accountable to Parliament for schools policy, and that includes the delivery of the tests. I was clear about that today, and I was clear about it last week when I appeared before the Select Committee. However, the responsibility for delivering those tests lies contractually with ETS Europe. A contract was drawn up with the QCA at arm's length from Ministers, and rightly so, because that is the only way to inspire public confidence in the objectivity of test setting that is independent of ministerial interference. I am clearly accountable for setting the regime, but the responsibility lay with ETS Europe, and the question that is being discussed today is whether those responsibilities have been properly discharged.