To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total spending by his Department was on anti-truancy programmes in each year since 1996-97; and what assessment of value for money has been made of such spending. (150887)

I refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 313W, to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather), on 22 January 2007, Official Report, column 1486W, to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes), on 16 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1061-62W, to the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mark Hunter) and on 23 October 2006, Official Report, column 1566W, to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne).

In 2007/08 we have committed the following amounts:

£0.6 million on attendance consultancy to support to local authorities;

£100,000 on absence data collections (in addition to school census collections);

£126,000 for publicity and promotion materials on attendance and absence; and

£15,000 on events for local authorities to share effective practice on attendance management.

As a result of our focus on providing challenge and support to 436 secondary schools with high levels of persistent absence, we have seen a 22 per cent. reduction in the number of persistently absent pupils in those schools over the autumn and spring terms of 2006-07 compared to the same period in 2005-06.