§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of children in Britain suffering mental or physical disability; and how many of them have experienced conductive education.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that information is not available centrally to enable reliable estimates to be made.
158W
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide assistance to the organisation Rapid Action for Conductive Education.
§ Mr. NewtonWe have received no application for assistance from the organisation Rapid Action for Conductive Education, but any such application would be considered in the light of the usual criteria for assisting voluntary organisations.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of adults in Britain suffering from Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and strokes; and what estimate he has of the numbers of them who would benefit from conductive education.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that information is not available centrally to enable such estimates to be made.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will introduce legislation to provide a statutory right to conductive education for those mentally and physically disabled children who could benefit from it;
(2) what research his Department has carried out on conductive education; and what funding he has given to research or projects carried out by outside organisations;
(3) if he will provide special funding for the development of conductive education for mentally and physically disabled children.
§ Mr. NewtonOfficials from this Department and the Department of Education and Science are currently discussing with the Spastics Society possible support for a study of current provision and an evaluation of the implications of wider development of conductive education in this country. Should this project go forward, we will then consider in the light of the outcome what further steps might be appropriate.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he takes to monitor the progress of mentally or physically disabled children who are undergoing conductive education; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Department does not collect information on individual children who may be mentally or physically disabled. It is known that a number of schools and units use forms or derivatives of conductive education but details are not available centrally.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the specific children's disabilities for which conductive education has been found particularly appropriate.
§ Mr. NewtonConductive education has been used to assist children suffering with disorders of movement. We are not aware, however, of firm evidence which might indicate that conductive education is particularly appropriate in the case of specific disabilities.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on conductive education.
§ Mr. NewtonWe have received approximately 70 letters on the subject of conductive education during the period 1 April to 30 June 1986.