asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that teachers remain in their appointments for a minimum period of one year in order to avoid constant changes detrimental to the education of young children; and if he will make a statement.

The detrimental effect of frequent staffing changes is well known, but I would not think it either practicable or desirable to impose a requirement as to length of service upon the conditions of employment agreed between teachers and their employers.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that in a case in my Constituency a child had about six teachers in less than eighteen months? Surely that sort of thing is detrimental to our youngsters. Surely the regional authorities can plan a little better in the areas, and surely the recruiting drive by the Ministry should be stepped up even further.

No one denies the detrimental effect on children of frequent staffing changes. However, my hon. and gallant Friend must face the fact that the commonest reason why teachers leave is that they marry and have children, and I do not know quite what he expects me to do about that.

While I fully accept what the right hon. and learned Gentleman said in his original reply, may I ask whether he is aware that the problem here is particularly that of schools in slum areas and that his attention has been called to it in the Newsom Report? Can he say what action is being taken in the light of the Newsom Report?

The hon. Gentleman should remember that it was very largely because of difficulties of this kind that we introduced the quota system some years ago. I imagine that the hon. Gentleman would not dissent from the policy of the Government about national pay scales, which is, of course, one of the issues raised by this kind of Question. I imagine that he would not wish us to depart from our policy.

I should have expected that the Government would have discussed this by now with the teachers' representatives.