Sir Patrick Cormack FSA

Conservative Party | Staffordshire South

Question on Foreign Languages

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire) (Con): Would the Minister accept that the alarming illiteracy figures suggest that the one language that is not necessarily taught as rigorously as it should be in schools is English?

Jim Knight: No, I would not accept that. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman accepts that the number of young people leaving primary school and reaching the national standard in literacy and numeracy has increased by 100,000 a year. I am sure that he welcomes that improvement.