§ Mr. HeddleTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will instigate a procedure to collect central statistics on the incidence of truancy.
§ Mrs. RumboldUnder the Education Acts, the responsibility for taking action on truancy rests with local education authorities. It is they who should ensure that truancy levels in their schools are monitored and that action is taken to keep them under control. Against this background, and as my right hon. Friend obtains advice on school attendance as on other matters from Her Majesty's Inspectorate, he does not consider that the collection of truancy statistics centrally is at present justified.