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6 Nov 2008 : Column 764W—continued

Schools: Crime

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many incidents in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools involved (i) knives and (ii) drugs in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [233272]

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Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Schools are generally safe places for pupils and staff.

The Department does not collect information on the number of knives confiscated from pupils in schools, and there is no duty on schools to report to the Department when they find a weapon on a pupil.

The Department does not record each individual incident that involves drugs, however such incidents are recorded if they lead to an exclusion. In 2006-07 there were 400 permanent exclusions in secondary schools related to drugs or alcohol which is around 5.3 per cent. of all permanent exclusions in secondary schools for that year. There were 60 fixed term exclusion related to drugs and alcohol in primary schools (0.1 per cent. of all primary school fixed term exclusions), and 7,840 in secondary schools (2.2 per cent. of all secondary schools fixed term exclusions).

Special Educational Needs

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools for pupils with special needs have (a) been opened and (b) closed in England since 1997. [227902]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Pupils with special educational needs are likely to be attending all types of school. My Department's records, based on information provided by local authorities, indicate that the following numbers of schools have opened and closed since 1997:

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Number of establishments opened in England since 1997
Type of establishment	Total
Academies	130
Community	1,065
Community special	172
European schools	2
Foundation	37
Voluntary aided	208
Voluntary controlled	106
Non-maintained special schools	19
Independent mainstream schools	532
Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996	19
Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN not approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996	372
Grand total	2,662

Number of establishments closed in England since 1997
Type of establishment	Total
City technology college	12
Community	2,548
Community special	374
Foundation	66
Foundation special	5
Voluntary aided	316
Voluntary controlled	218
Non-maintained special schools	14
Independent mainstream schools	779
Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996	17
Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN not approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996	71
Grand total	4,420
Source: Compiled from EduBase

Schools can be opened and closed for a number of reasons including the need to meet demographic changes (e.g. population decline); as part of an amalgamation; as part of another type of local reorganisation; or, changes to age ranges such as a primary school being created from formerly separate infants' and junior schools. Each of these examples would result in opening or closure (or both) being recorded.

In this context, between 1986 and 1997 there was a net reduction of 234 maintained special schools, and between 1997 and 2008 there has been a net reduction of 172 maintained special schools.

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