Arrangements are being developed in collaboration with the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Higher Education Institutions, the General Teaching Council, education authorities, schools, teachers' associations and HMI to introduce a more consistent wide-ranging approach to internal and external review of initial teacher education. Following a pilot external review in 2001-02, a programme of external reviews which will cover all teacher education institutions will begin in 2002-03.In the interim, I have asked HM Inspectors of Schools, in terms of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998, to undertake a review of the preparation given to student teachers to teach literacy.