§ 40. Mr. Doddsasked the Prime Minister if he will direct the Ministries of Education, Health, and Labour to appoint a joint committee to review, as a matter of urgency, the scales of provision now being made by various local authorities for the education and training, including industrial training, of all classes of mentally-handicapped children and adolescents, whether capable of receiving formal education or not.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)I am informed that local authorities are developing their education and training services for the mentally handicapped both by increasing provision and improving standards. Although we are all aware that there is still a good deal to be done in this field, my right hon. Friends and I do not see the need for such a committee.
§ Mr. DoddsDoes the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that what is asked for in the Question is asked for by the National Society for Mentally-Handicapped Children? Is he not aware that the help accorded to the mentally handicapped varies considerably from one district to another? Is it not the case that the suffering entailed, both to children and parents alike, makes it incumbent upon the Government to see that the best possible facilities are made available to them, wherever they live?
§ The Prime MinisterThe booklet recently published has been brought to my attention. It is a question whether or not this piece of machinery is a wise one. At the same time, we must recognise that a great deal of work has been done in recent years. Work on the provision of further places in the school building programmes is going on; special courses for teachers have been established, and more courses are starting in the autumn, and for those handicapped children unsuitable for education at school provision by local authorities has been greatly increased in recent years. An additional 40 such schools have been provided in the last two years. I can assure the hon. Member that we shall certainly do our best, and I will study the booklet to which he has referred, which I have already glanced at.
§ Mr. M. StewartWill the Prime Minister consider my hon. Friend's suggestion again? Is he aware that owing to the widely different practices of different local authorities, and the number of different Government Departments concerned, it is difficult to obtain a clear picture of the position of the nation on this question? Consequently, it is difficult to say on exactly what lines we should proceed in future in order to get the best results. Might not an inquiry of this kind be able to do for these children what we hope the advice of the Crowther Committee will do for normal children?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have had an inquiry by a Royal Commission, which reported as recently as 1957. It is a question whether this piece of internal machinery is a good one. All I can do is to assure the House and the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Dodds) that we shall do our best, by whatever machinery is available, to press on to find a solution to the problem.