To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1071W, on special educational needs: pupil exclusions, when information on exclusions from pupil referral units ceased to be collected; and for what reasons the decision to cease collection was taken. (261580)

As part of the Department’s efforts to reduce burdens on educational establishments, separate collections of exclusion information ceased in 2006. For mainstream schools, exclusions data is now returned through the School Census. A pilot was held to collect School Census data from Pupil Referral Units. The issues from that pilot are being addressed and a Pupil Referral Unit Census, including exclusion information, will be introduced in January 2010.