HC Deb 24 February 2003 vol 400 c345W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his national behaviour and attendance strategy. [97152]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

We are investing £470 million over the next three years in the national behaviour and attendance strategy to help tackle poor behaviour and absence from school, as well as introducing Fixed Penalty Notices and extending the use of Parenting Orders for persistent truancy offences.

£73 million will be spent on a universal element that will, through the behaviour and attendance strand of Key Stage 3, provide all secondary schools in England with behaviour and attendance auditing materials, training materials designed to help staff manage unacceptable behaviour, and a support structure. A further £396 million will be used to provide targeted packages through the behaviour and attendance strand of Excellence in Cities that will enable around 400 secondaries and approximately 1500 primaries to have multi-agency education and support teams for pupils and their families, police involvement with schools and more truancy sweeps.