§ 3. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Minister of Education the number of spastic children in Wales; and what advice he is giving to the Joint Education Committee for Wales on this subject.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI have no separate figure distinguishing spastic from other physically handicapped children. There were in January last 52 physically handicapped children sent to special schools (excluding hospital schools) by Welsh local education authorities, and 179 further children in Wales, whose names had been put down by authorities for admission to special schools for the physically handicapped. I have given no specific advice to the Joint Education Committee for Wales on this subject, but I should be glad to arrange for my officers to discuss with that body the whole problem of making adequate special school provision for physically handicapped children in Wales.
§ Mr. ThomasWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that most helpful reply, may I ask him to bear in mind that there are a fair number of these spastic children in the City of Cardiff alone and that they are quite bright mentally but are handicapped physically and need some special provision?
§ Mr. TomlinsonIt is for that reason that I have asked the whole of the local authorities, both in England and Wales, to consider jointly the provision of schools for children of this type.