HC Deb 27 February 1996 vol 272 cc465-6W
Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications there have been annually to the special educational needs tribunal since its establishment; and how many have been(a) accepted and (b) rejected. [17331]

Mrs. Gillan

[holding answer 26 February 1996]: A total of 1,170 appeals were registered with the special educational needs tribunal between 1 September 1994 and 31 August 1995. The average time taken to dispose of these was within the tribunal's five-month target. A total of 242 appeals were disposed of by 31 August 1995. Of these, 112 were upheld, 85 were dismissed, 27 were dismissed or upheld in part, 11 were remitted to the local education authority for reconsideration and seven were struck out because they were outside the tribunal's jurisdiction.

Further details about the numbers of appeals for this period can be obtained from the SEN tribunal President's annual report, a copy of which is in the Library.

I have asked the President of the tribunal to write to the hon. Member with up-to-date figures for appeals.

Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the annual cost to public funds of the special educational needs tribunal. [17326]

Mrs. Gillan

[holding reply 26 February 1996]: The figure for the actual cost in the financial year ending 31 March 1996 is not yet available, but we estimate that expenditure in that year will be in the region of £1,400,000.