§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the absence rate in each of the local education authorities in Wales in the secondary section; what measures he proposes to reduce these rates; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsAlthough information about absence rates is not collected centrally, details of attendance rates can be found in table 1.09 of "Statistics of Education and Training in Wales: Schools No. 1 1993", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. It is our intention for details of absence rates on an individual school basis to be published and we will shortly be issuing a consultation paper which addresses this issue amongst others.
It is, however, for local education authorities to ensure that parents are fulfilling their statutory obligations as to their children's education.