Competition and the council

It is premature and somewhat optimistic to imply that the Joint Action Plan signed by Prime Minister John Major and Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo could result in $265 million of World Bank money coming to the United Kingdom's national vocational training industry. Would that it were so.

The joint declaration specified that the British Council and Mexican authorities would pursue technical co-operation to help Mexico in the development of NVQs, and nothing more.

This week the British Council in Mexico is meeting with the country's authorities to see how this accord can be taken forward, and we shall be presenting proposals relating to the UK's experience and the UK model.

Along with British partners we are in the process of bidding for the first element of the World Bank project, but for this we are in competition with ten other international organisations.

Frank Edwards Director The British Council, Mexico