HC Deb 22 July 1974 vol 877 cc332-3W
Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional educational provision has been made for the increase of 69 per cent. of subnormal children between 1970 and 1973.

Mr. Armstrong

The increase, between 1970 and 1973, in the number of children known to be educationally subnormal is attributable mainly to the assumption by local education authorities of responsibility for severely mentally handicapped children on 1st April 1971. This increase was approximately matched by one of about 36,000 places in special schools for ESN children, of which about 30,000 were in schools which had until 1971 been run by local health authorities as training centres.