To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of cases of bullying in secondary schools in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport in each year since 2001. (279763)

We are unable to provide figures for the number of bullying incidents in individual local authorities and schools as this information is not collected centrally. Our bullying guidance recommends currently that schools record incidents of bullying and report these data to their local authority. We have flagged up that schools can use the data to monitor their anti-bullying policies and respond to and manage individual cases more effectively, and that local authorities can use the data to identify trends and evaluate area-wide initiatives.

We intend to introduce a new statutory duty on schools to record incidents of bullying between pupils early next year, and will specifically consult on whether schools should be obliged to report these incidents to their local authority. We will consult on the scope of the legislation in the autumn and bring into force the new regulations in 2010.