Written question asked by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Monday, 6 November 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 November 2000. It was answered by Baroness Morris of Yardley (Labour) on Thursday, 9 November 2000 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list by LEA in descending order the percentage of (a) teaching posts currently vacant and (b) children attending schools in the LEA entitled to free school meals. - Inc figures, ref to 'Statistics of Education - Schools in England 2000', and fact that tables placed in Library. (Dep No 00/1692).

Answer: Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by LEA in descending order the percentage of (a) teaching posts currently vacant and (b) children attending schools in the LEA entitled to free school meals. [137371] Ms Estelle Morris: The information requested is contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The number of regular teachers in maintained schools increased by 6,900 between January 1998 and January 2000. A DfEE survey of maintained secondary schools in England in the first week of September 2000 indicated that there were about 1,000 secondary teacher vacancies; the equivalent figure at January 2000 was 1,200. General information on schools has recently been published in a statistical volume `Statistics of Education--Schools in England 2000', a copy of which is available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed on the Department's statistical website www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics.

Secondary information