§ Mrs. Betty WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the National Disability Council will report on its recent activities. [121250]
§ Ms HodgeI am pleased to announce that the National Disability Council's report for 1999–2000 has been laid before Parliament today. The report, copies of which are available in the Library, describes the work of the Council in its final full year of operation. A letter from the Council's Chairman, David Grayson, reporting on activities between 6 April and 24 April has also been laid today. It is also available in the Library.
The work of the Council was subsumed by the Disability Rights Commission when it began operating on 25 April. This report and letter are, therefore, the final reports on the Council's activities. Accordingly, I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the hard work and commitment that Mr. Grayson and the Council's members brought to their work. They have made a positive impact and helped improve the lives of disabled people. I am particularly grateful to them for the way in which the Council helped pave the way for the Commission. Because of their good efforts the Commission inherited an exceptionally good base from which to begin its work.
Number of sixth forms approved Local education authority 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Berkshire (pre 1 April 1998) — — — 1 — 3 — — Birmingham 1 1 — — 1 1 — — Bradford — — — — — — — 1 Buckinghamshire (pre 1 April 1997 — — — 1 — — — — Calderdale — — 1 — — — — — Cambridgeshire (pre 1 April 1998) — 1 — 3 — — — — Cornwall — — — — 2 — — — Derby City — — — — — — 1 — Derbyshire (pre 1 April 1997) — — 2 2 3 — — — Devon — — 2 — — — — 1 Dorset (pre 1 April 1997) — 1 — — — 4 — — Dudley — — — 1 — — — — Ealing — — — — — — — 1 East Sussex — — — — — — — 1 Essex (pre 1 April 1998) 3 — 1 3 2 — — — Gateshead — — — 1 — — — — Gloucestershire — — — — — — — 2 Hampshire (pre 1 April 1997) — — 3 2 1 — — — Havering — — 1 — — — — — Kent (pre 1 April 19981 1 — 1 — 25 6 — — Lambeth — — — 1 — — — — Lincolnshire — — 3 — 3 — — — Manchester — — — — — 1 — — Norfolk — 1 2 1 1 — — — North Yorkshire (pre 1 April 1996) — — — 1 — — — — Nottinghamshire (pre 1 April 1998) — — 1 — — — — —