To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many home inspectors (a) are fully qualified, (b) are in training and (c) have withdrawn from training. (114493)

Figures on the number and status of candidates are reported regularly by the individual assessment centres on a voluntary basis.

As at 5 November 2006:

(a) there were 650 home inspectors who had completed their training, of whom 230 had been issued with their certificate

(b) there were 4,470 candidates still in training

(c) it is not currently possible to provide figures on numbers withdrawing from training as these are collated separately by centres. They are currently dealing with large changes in their candidate pool, with an increase in those joining, together with many wishing to transfer between the courses offered by new awarding bodies and also to the new Domestic Energy Assessor qualification.

Figures for December were not complete and figures for January are still being collated.