To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of primary school pupils were persistent absentees in each (a) local authority area and (b) constituency in each of the last 10 years. (324537)

Information on persistent absentees in primary schools is only available from 2006/07 onwards. Information at local authority level for 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09, and parliamentary constituency level for 2007/08 and 2008/09 has been placed in the Libraries. To provide further information would incur disproportionate cost.