§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give for the latest available date for primary and secondary schools and for the various categories of handicap the numbers of children in (a) special schools, (b) special classes in ordinary schools part-time, (c) special classes in ordinary schools full-time, and (d) not in special classes.
§ Dr. BoysonThe information is not available in the form requested. According to returns from the schools, in January 1982, the latest date for which information is available, the numbers of handicapped full-time pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools and in maintained and non-maintained special schools in England were as follows:
Maintained and non-maintained special schools Maintained primary and secondary schools Registered in Special classes or units Registered in ordinary clases Blind 1,080 21 54 Partially sighted 1,731 149 894 Deaf 2,867 481 402 Partially hearing 1,342 2,544 3,137 Physically handicapped 11,488 529 3,131 Delicate 3,391 257 1,303 Maladjusted 13,177 1,382 1,488 ESN (medium) 55,561 7,644 2,399 ESN (severe) *27,252 235 110 Epileptic 1,530 64 928 Speech defect 2,252 1,078 1,498 Autistic *679 118 130 Total 122,350 †14,502 15,474 * Including pupils in hospital schools. † Of the 14,502 handicapped pupils registered in special classes or units 2,999 pupils spent more than 30 per cent, of their time in ordinary classes. Separate information for each category of handicap is not available.