§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many assaults there were against teachers by pupils in schools in the Eastern region; and what measures he is taking to prevent such attacks. [144862]
§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many assaults have been recorded on(a) teachers and (b) other local authority education staff in Bedfordshire in (i) the last year for which figures are available and (ii) each of the previous five years. [144899]
§ Mr. Ivan Lewis[holding answer 18 December 2003]: Serious injuries to primary and secondary teachers in Great Britain caused by physical violence reported to the Health and Safety Executive have been as follows:
These figures are not available by region or local authority. Data on less serious assaults are not available.
Number of serious injuries 1996/97 83 1997/98 119 1998/99 124 1999/2000 135 2000/01 135 2001/02 110 We are investing nearly £470 million over the next three years in measures to improve behaviour and attendance in schools. These will include training for school staff in preventing violence. We have also made it clear that head teachers may permanently exclude pupils responsible for violence. New legislation in the Antisocial Behaviour Act will enable local education authorities to apply for court-imposed Parenting Orders for parents whose children have been excluded from school for serious misbehaviour. And we have issued "A legal toolkit for schools" which identifies legal remedies available when school staff experience problems with violent parents.