§ 4. Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now state what has been the result of his consultations to discontinue caning for handicapped pupils.
§ The Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Patrick Gordon Walker)These consultations are not yet completed.
§ Mr. WinnickWhen is a full statement on this matter likely? Is my right hon. Friend aware that, despite the rather silly resolution passed by the Tory majority on the Liverpool Education Committee, I have in no way changed my view—and I hope that he has not changed his—that the caning of handicapped children is wrong and barbaric.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerI made my views on this clear in the House a little while ago. I hope that these consultations, which are now proceeding, and which will continue, indeed, this afternoon, will not now take very long.
§ Mr. FortescueDisregarding the petty insults of the hon. Member for Croydon, South (Mr. Winnick) about Liverpool City Council, will the right hon. Gentleman, in considering this matter, draw a clear distinction between mentally handicapped children and educationally subnormal children.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerI think it is very difficult to draw that kind of line, but I am in the middle of consultations and I had better not speculate on the merits of the matter.