asked the Minister for Education whether his Department operates any system which would tend to secure that a certain percentage of candidates in its examinations get honours and another percentage a pass, and if he will make a statement on the matter.

No such system is in operation in the Department's examinations.

I should like to ask the Minister if his attention was drawn to a newspaper article some time ago which definitely stated there was a rule of thumb in his Department which allowed this kind of thing to be put into operation?

No. I suppose a spirit of being merciful prevented my attention being drawn to it.