HC Deb 05 May 2004 vol 420 cc1587-8W
Dr. Murrison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which continence problems are a factor for exclusion in schools. [171131]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

This information is not available. My Department started to collect data on the reasons for exclusions from summer term 2003, but this does not pick up any continence or other medical-related exclusions. Pupils should only be excluded from school in response to serious breaches of the school's behaviour policy and if allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.