HC Deb 30 March 1993 vol 222 cc156-7W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assistance he can give to schools who have children with special needs.

Mr. Forth

Local education authorities maintained schools are resourced for the vast majority of such children through the general funding allocated to them by the local education authority. In the case of grant-maintained schools, such provision is made through annual maintenance grant. For the smaller number of pupils who have statements of special educational needs (SEN), responsibility for arranging any necessary additional provision lies with the LEA. The Education Bill now before Parliament ensures that LEAs will continue to be able to offer SEN support services to all LEA and grant-maintained schools for all of their pupils with special needs.

The Department provides for capital work for special needs pupils in county, controlled and maintained special schools through annual capital guidelines (ACGs). Some £5.5 million of ACGs were distributed for 1993–94, with a further £3.6 million of resources earmarked for issue as supplementary credit approvals, pending decisions on related statutory proposals. A further sum will be available to non-maintained special schools in 1993–94 through a separate capital grant programme.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children have special educational needs.

Mr. Forth

In January 1992 there were nearly 165,000 children for whom statements of special educational needs were being maintained by local education authorities in England.