The Education Secretary, David Blunkett, has announced that the Department for Education - and not the semi-autonomous Teacher Training Agency (TTA) - will take the lead role in new initiatives in this area.

These include the proposed training college for those who want to become school headteachers, as well as plans to "fast track" well-qualified trainee teachers onto higher salaries.

David Blunkett: "Ministers should take the clear leading role"

The move comes amid concerns about the quality of some teacher training courses. And ministers are worried that insufficient numbers of graduates are choosing a career in teaching, in spite of extensive advertising by the TTA.

The General Teaching Councils for England and Wales, due to be launched next year, will be charged with promoting the teaching profession - currently a responsibility of the TTA.

In a letter to the agency's chairman, Clive Booth, Mr Blunkett writes: "I believe it is important that the Department takes a more direct lead role in current policy on a number of specific areas.

"As a result, the Department will be taking forward the planning and development of the new leadership college, the design and launch of the new fast track scheme for the teaching profession, and the crucial and long neglected task of reviewing and strengthening the training of supply teachers."

The education secretary also informed the TTA that its performance over the past five years is to be reviewed.

Mr Blunkett said the Green Paper on the future of teaching, published last December, set out a radical agenda for reform which would transform the teaching profession.

"I am determined to maintain the drive and coherence of the vision set out in the Green Paper. I intend therefore that ministers should take the clear leading role in consulting on and taking forward the Green Paper agenda."