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School Buses

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will set an upper limit on charges local education authorities are permitted to make for school bus journeys under the school transport section of the Education and Inspections Bill. [82417]

Jim Knight: The Education and Inspections Bill includes provisions that will allow a small number of ‘Pathfinder’ authorities to pilot innovative school travel arrangements. While it will be up to local authorities themselves to draw up a charging policy, the draft guidance to potential ‘Pathfinder’ authorities, which has been published on the Department’s website, suggests a maximum charge of £1 per day.

School Principals

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average salary was of (a) head and (b) deputy head teachers in (i) England and (ii) each region in each of the last 10 years. [81697]

Jim Knight: The following table provides the average salary of full-time regular head and deputy head teachers in maintained sector schools in England and by Government office region. The average salaries are given for March each year from 1996 to 2003, the latest year for which the information is available.

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5 July 2006 : Column 1132W

Average salary of full-time regular head and deputy head teachers in maintained sector schools in England by Government office region, March 1996 to 2003
£
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001( 1)	2002( 1)	2003( 1)
England
Head	31,040	32,370	33,530	35,020	37,710	40,010	42,380	44,960
Deputy head	27,540	28,640	29,640	30,890	32,160	34,810	36,800	38,950
North East
Head	30,080	31,240	32,270	34,040	36,520	38,950	41,250	43,790
Deputy head	26,640	27,570	28,450	29,800	30,970	33,880	35,630	37,780
North West
Head	30,250	31,450	32,570	33,850	36,820	39,410	41,640	44,190
Deputy head	26,940	27,980	28,900	30,110	31,370	34,120	36,100	38,100
Yorkshire and the Humber
Head	30,020	31,190	32,290	33,500	36,650	39,130	41,490	44,180
Deputy head	26,680	27,740	28,690	29,870	31,130	34,120	35,980	38,170
East Midlands
Head	30,470	31,680	32,730	34,080	36,670	38,510	40,810	43,400
Deputy head	27,220	28,200	29,300	30,390	31,650	34,400	36,130	38,120
West Midlands
Head	30,950	32,320	33,370	34,930	37,390	40,000	42,060	44,860
Deputy head	27,260	28,330	29,290	30,550	31,790	34,490	36,240	38,440
East of England
Head	30,910	32,290	33,360	34,720	37,370	39,460	41,880	44,440
Deputy head	27,370	28,500	29,530	30,640	31,960	34,360	36,340	38,680
London
Head	34,910	36,630	38,300	40,170	42,790	45,800	49,010	52,240
Deputy head	30,230	31,400	32,560	33,980	35,390	38,160	40,780	43,300
South East
Head	31,610	33,070	34,290	35,810	38,350	40,530	42,750	45,390
Deputy head	27,700	28,840	29,830	31,070	32,370	34,800	36,560	38,770
South West
Head	29,830	31,070	32,190	33,570	36,210	38,380	40,390	42,720
Deputy head	27,020	28,210	29,130	30,450	31,640	34,100	35,910	37,960
(1) Provisional estimates subject to future revision. Source: Database of Teacher Records (DTR).

Sexual Health Education

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what expenditure is planned for sexual health education in schools in each of the next three years. [82546]

Mr. Dhanda: It is for local authorities and schools to decide the level of resources required to support sexual health education in schools taking account of local needs. We are working to improve the quality of sexual health education in maintained schools. The Department for Education and Skills, together with Department of Health, is supporting the PSHE certification programme for teachers with over £2 million in 2006-07. In addition, both Departments are supporting the national healthy schools programme with £12.3 million of funding in 2006-07. These programmes support schools in delivering sexual health education as part of broader programmes.

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