§ 31. Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is taking to remove discrimination against the parents of disabled and handicapped children in matters of parental choice.
§ Dr. BoysonI am not aware of discrimination. I refer the hon. Member to yesterday's statement by my right hon. and learned Friend about the Government's response to the Warnock report.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the projected numbers of physically disabled children who will attend special schools for the next five years (a) if section 10 of the Education Act 1976 is not fully implemented within that period and 164W (b) if section 10 is fully implemented; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonWhether a physically disabled child is in need of special educational treatment and if so whether his need would best be met in a special school are matters for the local education authority concerned in consultation with the parents. Section 10 of the Education Act 1976 does not impose an unqualified requirement as to the placement of pupils identified as needing special educational treatment. For these reasons it is not feasible to project the future distribution of physically handicapped pupils as between different kinds of schools. The subject of integration will be fully discussed in the White Paper on the Warnock report which the Government intend to lay before Parliament.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many physically disabled children were attending special schools in each of the last 10 years in England.
§ Dr. BoysonThe following information, based on returns from local education authorities, relates to the number of pupils in maintained and non-maintained special schools who had been ascertained by local education authorities as requiring special educational treatment because of physical handicap, as defined in regulation 4(h) of the Handicapped Pupils and Special Schools Regulations 1959. The figures are for January each year. Due to differences in the coverage, the figures for 1970 to 1972 are not directly comparable with those for later years.
1970 8,392 1971 8,764 1972 9,231 1973 10,205 1974 10,523 1975 11,286 1976 12,363 1977 12,627 1978 12,961 1979 12,940
§ Mr. Colvinasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the education and support services to disabled school children will be reduced in real terms by the reductions in public expenditure; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Government's expenditure plans for education allow for 165W expenditure on special schools and transport to special schools to be maintained broadly at its current level. Expenditure on meals and milk at these schools will depend on decisions by individual local education authorities over the arrangements they make for these services.