English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:623;Page:18757] 
11.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (National—Clutha-Southland) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education 
: Does he stand by his statement to the House on 3 February 2005 regarding scholarship results that: “I do not subscribe to the accusations he makes about … shonky exam results … I think that most New Zealanders and certainly most of the students involved in those examinations would want any consideration of the results to be done on the basis of full and timely information.”; if so what information did he have about scholarship results when he made that statement? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Associate Minister of Education) 
: 
 Yes. With regard to information about low scholarship results in certain subjects I indicated that to the member at that time when I said: “Clearly I have seen some such information but I have asked for a report and I believe the appropriate time to draw relevant conclusions is when I have received the report and considered it not before then.” In addition I issued a press release on 1 February—the first sitting day of the House this year—that I had received data in addition to public comment and that I had requested the full report I have just referred to. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why did the Minister make a series of press releases and public statements stating that he needed a report from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority about this matter when the Minister of Education had received such a report a week before and was he covering up—or had Trevor just not shared it with him because he was too junior? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member knows that he cannot refer to another member of the House in that way. He should have said “the Hon Trevor Mallard”. 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: The report that I referred to was a report that gave the genesis to the Cabinet paper that led to the decision to grant the distinction awards not the information about the raw data. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Can the Minister confirm that it was his office that showed to me the contentious table report rather than vice versa and that it was his office that helped my office to find out what was around? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: That is my understanding of what transpired. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister now confirm that the Minister of Education’s office was so lazy so complacent and so uninterested that the Minister of Education needed the junior Minister’s office to tell him what was going on with regard to the scholarship exam and can he confirm that he must have brought those matters to the attention of the Minister of Education as early as 25 January—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I ask Mr English to please restate the question. I heard an interjection while he was asking his question. I do not know where the interjection came from. The member can repeat the question. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm that the Minister of Education and his office did not find out about the scholarship results but his office advised them; if he did advise them on 25 January why is it that 2 weeks later on 8 February he was still making public statements as if he did not have a full report from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority; is that not a cover-up? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I can certainly confirm a collegial and an efficient working relationship between the two offices. There has been no cover-up involved in these matters. While we are talking about the accuracy of information I am pleased to respond to the issue that was raised yesterday in terms of the scientist who was unable to pass the chemistry unit standard. I inform the House that 55 percent of the candidates in that standard were able to pass it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That has nothing to do with the question that was asked. The Minister had answered the question in the first part of his answer. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister tell the thousands of young New Zealanders who sat the New Zealand Scholarship and the National Certificate of Educational Achievement why it is that after 3 weeks of bad publicity no Minister and no bureaucrat has apologised to them or taken any accountability for this debacle even though the Prime Minister said that someone would pay? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I am sure the member will understand that the processes that are in train will yield those responsibilities and accountabilities. Like him I find it unfortunate that such events have transpired. My focus is quite properly absolutely on looking forward to make sure that there is no repetition of such events.