We currently pay £10 for every full NVQ completed into a fund which is used to support the development of National Occupational Standards.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) has decided that this "NOS Levy" should be removed with effect from September 2008.

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) will instead be directly funded to develop NOSs, which removes a distorting and unfair imposition on one particular group of qualifications.

At OCR, we will be reviewing our NVQ fees to make sure that every penny of the reduction is passed on to our customers from next September.

Precisely how we will do this will take a little time to work out, since many of our fees are paid for units, not whole qualifications, and not all candidates who take units proceed to a full qualification.

We will, however, guarantee that the total fees charged to customers for NVQs in 2008-09 will be reduced by the total value of NOS levies which we would have paid.

We hope you will find this early notice useful in planning ahead for 2008-09.