HC Deb 17 May 1977 vol 932 cc127-9W
36. Mr. Whitehead

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the current practice of local education authorities in compiling and keeping up-to-date lists of teachers who are not regarded as eligible for employment.

Miss Margaret Jackson

I understand my hon. Friend has in mind the Department's List 99. This is a list of persons determined by the Secretary of State to be unsuitable for employment as teachers on grounds of misconduct, and it is circulated to local education authorities to enable them to observe their statutory duty not to employ such persons. Teachers are determined as unsuitable for employment only for misconduct of a serious kind, and no teacher is so determined until he or she has had an opportunity to make representations. The Department will shortly be consulting the teachers' and local authority associations about the issue of a circular, replacing Circular 4/68, setting out the arrangements for the reporting to the Department of teachers' convictions for criminal offences and the Department's procedures in regard to teachers' misconduct.

37. Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to discourage allocation of teachers of minimum experience to pupils of maximum need.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

I agree with the point my hon. Friend is making, but the allocation of staff to meet each school's requirements, including the teaching of pupils with particular needs, is a matter for heads. No doubt they will have been encouraged, as I have been, by the marked reduction in wastage and turnover of staff during the last few years and the consequential improvement in stability and experience.

Mr. Eyre

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will announce the date upon which the premature retirement regulations relating to teachers facing redundancy will become effective.

Miss Margaret Jackson

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to circulate regulations in draft to the local authority and teachers' associations, for their comments, before the House rises for the Summer Recess.