Anne Main welcomes the changes to GCSEs to remove grade inflation, but raises concerns that qualifications from different parts of the UK will result in certain qualifications having more merit than others which will disadvantage poorer communities.

Mrs Anne Main (St Albans) (Con): I welcome the removal of grade inflation—we owe it to our young people to have a value system that everyone recognises. However, as someone of Welsh heritage, who got all my qualifications in Wales, I am very concerned that certain qualifications will now have greater merit than others, which will disadvantage poorer communities, and some employers will not understand the two sorts of qualifications that may come about.

Michael Gove: My hon. Friend puts her finger on a really important issue. One thing that I am anxious to do is to secure, with the help of the regulator, a proper understanding that can help us to encourage those responsible for qualifications in Wales to recognise which changes are appropriate and which are not.

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