To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff have (a) been dismissed and (b) had their contract terminated by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last five years; what the reason was in each case; and what the severance costs in relation to (i) dismissal and (ii) contract termination were in each such year. (290536)

Staff may be dismissed for poor performance, poor attendance or misconduct, and the contract of employment terminated. Information for the Department and its predecessors in relation to dismissals for performance, attendance or misconduct is set out in the following table. Totals of less than five are suppressed on grounds of confidentiality.

Staff may also be dismissed in law when a fixed term contract terminates at the end of the contract period and is not renewed is not included in the table. That information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information about the costs of terminating contracts is not held in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Staff who are dismissed do not receive severance.