§ 19. Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations she has received about truancy. [13260]
§ Mr. ForthMy right hon. Friend receives representations about truancy from a variety of quarters. To provide practical help to schools, the Department is currently supporting locally-devised projects to a value of some £14 million in over 80 English local education authorities under the truancy and disaffected pupils programme of the grants for education support and training scheme 1994–95. In December we announced further support for some 90 projects in 1995–96, to a value of £15.6 million.