To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the Manchester university study on teacher shortage, a copy of which has been sent to his Department.

The Department has not received a copy of the report referred to. However, officials have been in touch with the authors of the report, and I understand that their findings are broadly consistent with the Department's statistics about teacher wastage. They confirm that the majority of those leaving teaching do so on retirement. Others resign on maternity, on moving house or on going abroad, and less than 1 per cent. of the work force leaves teaching for other employment, including self-employment.