To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers on the Graduate Teacher Training Programme have been placed in fee paying schools; and how many of those schools have received funding towards the cost of the (a) training and (b) trainee’s salary in the past three years. (98186)

[holding answer 30 October 2006]: The number of trainees on the Graduate Teacher Training Programme (GTP) employed by independent schools for the academic years, 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 is 144, 205 and 178 people respectively. Those who withdrew from the programme prior to the completion date have been excluded from the figures.

Independent schools may receive a small amount of the training grant from their training provider. This is controlled locally and information on the exact amount given to fee paying schools is not held centrally.

The salary of GTP trainees who are employed by independent schools is borne by the school.