HL Deb 09 May 2002 vol 634 c199WA
Baroness Anelay of St Johns

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the debate on 29 April (HL Deb, col. 533), what measures they are taking to assist educational bodies which offer courses in the performing arts to adjust their recruitment policies, their courses and their buildings so that they can comply with the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. [HL4096]

Baroness Blackstone

One hundred and seventy-two million pounds have been allocated in 2002–04 for the implementation of the new post-16 educational duties. This will help publicly funded further and higher education institutions, including those which offer courses in the performing arts, to improve disabled access to buildings and in the provision of specialised equipment.

Wholly privately-funded post-16 providers and providers of work-based training are not covered by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, but remain subject to Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act on goods, facilities and services. The Disability Rights Commission has prepared codes of practice to help schools and providers of post-16 education plan for the new duties coming into force from September 2002. Subject to parliamentary approval for the codes, the commission intends to publish them in early summer.