HC Deb 11 July 2002 vol 388 cc1176-7W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many classroom support staff are employed; and what plans there are to increase the number. [68520]

Mr. Miliband

The provisional figure for full-time equivalent number of support staff in maintined schools in England in January 2002 is 213,012. This includes 103,624 teaching assistants, 49,050 administrative staff, 16,528 technicians and some 43,809 other staff. Plans for increasing this number will depend upon the spending review and decisions taken locally by schools.