§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the future recruitment of teachers in Gloucestershire; and if she will make a statement. [9008]
§ Mr. TimmsLocal education authorities themselves are best placed to assess the future demand for teachers in their areas. Like other authorities, Gloucestershire will continue to benefit from the measures to promote teacher recruitment and retention that the Government have put in place. Between January 1997 and January 2001, the number of full-time equivalent regular teachers working in maintained schools in Gloucestershire rose by 270, from 4,410 to 4,680. During the same period, the number of full-time teacher vacancies in the county remained unchanged at 14.