The extent of the anxiety of my hon. Friends and I about the injustice to teachers will have been measured by the House in noticing the alacrity with which we jumped at the offer of support from the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the City of London (Mr. Assheton). "Any port in a storm" is an old saying which we in South Wales, as well as others, accept. I do not want the right hon. Gentleman to think that I regard him as any port, but any support he can give on this issue will be very welcome.

The Government Front Bench must be feeling very uncomfortable on this issue. My hon. Friend the Member for Southampton (Mr. Morley) was very mild in the observations he put forward, and in saying that the Government's action was almost a breach of faith. I notice that there is no one from the Ministry of Education sitting on the Front Bench when this matter of first importance to the teacher is being discussed.