§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire on Wednesday 15 February, Official Report column 217, what steps his Department takes to ensure that each local authority keeps a constant watch on attendance figures.
§ Mr. DunnThe Department has set up no special mechanism to monitor local authorities in this respect; but each authority has an education welfare service capable of collecting and analysing attendance figures, and my right hon. Friend intends to encourage a review of the priorities and approaches of those services so as to reduce truancy.