§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representation his Department plans to have at the Sixth British Dyslexia Association Conference; and if he will make a statement on programmes available to assist dyslexia sufferers. [159944]
§ Margaret HodgeA DfES representative has served on the steering group for this event and we hope to send an observer on one of the conference days.
In addition to assisting with planning, the Department has provided grant support to enable a number of promising students to attend the event and a grant for a new conference publication aimed at classroom practitioners. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has also provided a goodwill message for this international event, which will be reproduced in conference literature.
A number of commercially available programmes support children with specific learning difficulties. It is for parents, individual schools and local education authorities to decide whether a given technique has something to offer an individual child in the light of his or her needs.