Date: 16th October 2006
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Island MP Andrew Turner has welcomed an admission by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Learning and Skills Council (LSC) that ‘with hindsight’ they would have used different language in their campaign to promote a single sixth form centre on the site of the Isle of Wight College.  Martin Lamb, the Area Director of the LSC, made the admission on Thursday evening during a meeting of an Isle of Wight Council Commission set up to consider the proposal.

Mr Turner, who made a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) about elements of the LSC’s campaign (including the use of the word ‘guarantee’ in relation to future examination results and an example of exam results from Havant College which he branded as misleading and inappropriate) said that the LSC had finally changed some of the information on their website and had not repeated the advertisement.

Mr Turner said,
‘The LSC have used public money in a blatant attempt to ‘spin’ these proposals.  If the proposal has merit it should withstand proper public scrutiny and not need dodgy facts and incomplete information to support it.  Their own solicitor conspicuously failed to confirm that she was happy with their campaign yet as recently as last week a spokesman for the LSC said he was standing by it during a public meeting. 

“I am glad that they have watered down their claims but there are still outstanding questions over the campaign.

‘The organization who hopes to be entrusted with all post 16 education on the Island really should be more careful with the language they use.  Mr Lamb described important questions raised over the LSC’s use of language and presentation of facts as ‘nit-picking’.  I’m sure that students marked down for sloppy spelling or illogical conclusions would love to fall back on such complaints. Any report on the LSC would say they ‘must do better’ and ‘pay more attention to detail’.  I am troubled that it took a complaint to an external agency to get them to look more carefully at their claims – when I had already raised my concerns with them privately.

“The LSC didn’t seem to realise that their behaviour reflected quite unfairly on the reputation of the Isle of Wight College who had made every effort to present clear and factual information in an appropriate context.”

Mr Turner also paid tribute to the submission made to the IW Council by a number of Island sixth formers.  He said,
“The submission made by sixth formers was balanced and thoughtful.  They conceded that there may be benefits to the proposal but came to the conclusion that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages.  I was impressed by the way in which they put their arguments both on paper and in person.  They had also taken the trouble to consult with others, especially their peers in the lower years as they recognized that they were the most likely to be affected by these proposals, something the LSC has signally failed to do.”

END    Contact :            Andrew Turner 01983 530808
Attached : Letter from Andrew Turner to the Advertising Standards Agency as pdf file