§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her estimate of the effect of the proposals for changes to early retirement provisions for teachers on the age profile of the profession. [5536]
§ Mrs. GillanMy right hon. Friend expects that more experienced teachers will stay in teaching and therefore numbers in the age range 50 to 60 will rise if the proposals on early retirement are implemented. The number of teachers leaving the profession in their forties may increase as a result of the improved severance payments available to this age group. In the long term, she expects these changes to produce a smoother age profile for teachers, to that the required number of entrants to the profession remains broadly constant over time.