HC Deb 24 July 1996 vol 282 c348
17. Mr. Pearson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals she has for further developing the access initiative to improve access for disabled children to mainstream schools. [37284]

Mrs. Gillan

Some 800 mainstream schools will benefit from the schools access initiative projects in 1996–97 to improve access to the curriculum for disabled pupils.

Mr. Pearson

While I welcome the £45,000 that was allocated to Dudley metropolitan borough council on a one-off basis this financial year, if that funding is not repeated in future, the parents of children with physical disabilities will view it as tokenism and a cheap pre-election bribe. What will the Government do to ensure that all children with physical disabilities gain access to their local mainstream schools?

Mrs. Gillan

I would not seek to make political mileage out of the issue, but the funding demonstrates the Government's commitment to integrating pupils with special needs into mainstream schools wherever that is feasible. We shall look at the expenditure for 1997–98 soon, and we shall take a decision about whether to extend the initiative based on what we have learnt from the 1996–97 bidding round. I am delighted that the hon. Gentleman had the decency to acknowledge Dudley's successful bid, which enabled four schools to improve access for the disabled.