asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will institute a survey into truancy from schools similar to those undertaken in 1972 and 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has up-to-date figures for truancy among pupils in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

I have already given to the House the main finding of the one-day survey of school attendance carried out by my Department just over a year ago.—[Vol. 877, c. 532–4.] My Department does not collect statistics of school attendance regularly, but I am ready to consider this in the discussions on behavioural problems which we will shortly be holding with the local education and teachers' associations.