asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many qualified teachers of the deaf are required to cater for the education of deaf or partially hearing children; and how many qualified teachers there are at present; and what are the number of qualified teachers who have entered and left the profession per annum in the last three years.

In January 1975, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,345 specially qualified teachers of the hearing impaired in England and Wales. It is impossible to estimate the total need because of uncertainty about the developing pattern of provision, different elements in which have different staffing requirements. The position, however, is improving. The number of newly-qualified teachers rose from

Salaries at present receivable by education advisers, including an interim award from 1st April 1975, are on scales within the following ranges:

Assistant scale	£3,630–£3,900
Main range	£4,059–£6,210
Senior range	£5,490–£7,290
Principal range	£6,930–£8,751

The new scales recommended by the Soulbury Committee for education advisers, following the recent arbitration award, are in the ranges:139 in January 1973 to 153 in January 1975; and, although numbers leaving the profession are not known, the total of specially qualified teachers in post rose from 1,179 to 1,345 in two years.