To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the reasons are for the time taken to publish official guidance for the implementation of the provisions of the 2008 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document in relation to the pay and working time of part-time teachers. (248549)

The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2008 (STPCD) came into force on 1 September 2008, Section 3 of which comprises statutory guidance including guidance on part-time teacher remuneration and working time. The statutory provisions of the STPCD and the statutory guidance were the subject of statutory consultation.

Additional non statutory guidance on the new part-time arrangements was made available on Teachernet on 8 October. Following the identification of a technical error within the STPCD, this guidance was withdrawn on 4 November 2008 and replaced on 13 January 2009.