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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ask the Office for National Statistics to publish pupil absence rates by local authority ward on the Neighbourhood Statistics website. [216923] Mr. Timms: [holding answer 21 February 2005]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Adrian Flook, dated 22 February 2005: As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if the Office for National Statistics will publish pupil absence rates by local authority ward on the Neighbourhood Statistics website. (216923) The Office for National Statistics is planning to publish information on pupil absence as part of the on-going development of the Neighbourhood Statistics website to support work on neighbourhood renewal. It is hoped that the data will be released in the second quarter of 2005. A recent review, with representatives from the Department for Education and Skills, has confirmed that data on pupil absences has the highest priority. As a result the Office for National Statistics is working with the Department for Education and Skills to make available details of authorised and unauthorised absences in primary and secondary schools for the periods 2002-03 and 2003-04. The level of detail (including the geographical level) cannot be guaranteed at this time as it would depend on whether the information would be disclosive. To protect the confidentiality of information about identifiable individuals, information will be published in strict accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

431 c482W;431 c478W; 216923

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Office for National Statistics Statistics Truancy

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk