§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date the first draft circulars on pupils with problems were distributed; to which categories of people they were automatically distributed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthDistribution of the draft circulars began on 4 January 1994. They were sent automatically to all local education authorities, self-governing (grant-maintained) schools representative bodies, teacher unions, the main subject representative bodies, some acknowledged experts in the field and all individuals who had expressed an interest or had been involved in discussions with the Department beforehand. Some 16,000 further copies of the package have been sent free, on demand. The consultation period, which lasted 10 weeks, ended on 11 March.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps have been taken to distribute the code of practice on pupils with problems to all schools; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthSubject to its approval by Parliament, the code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs will be distributed to all maintained schools.