HC Deb 05 February 1985 vol 72 cc517-8W
Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he will list the information and statistics relating to the education of children with special educational needs (a) of statutory school age and (b) between the ages of 16 and 19 years which is known to be collected by local education authorities but is not collated centrally by his Department;

(2) whether he will list the information and statistics relating to pre-school educational provision, including pre-school playgroups, which is known to be collected by local education authorities but is not collated centrally by his Department.

Mr. Dunn

The collection of information other than that required by the Department is a matter for individual local education authorities, and the Department has no information about the practices which they adopt.

Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what statistics relating to the education of children now designated as having special educational needs his Department has ceased collecting since the introduction of the Education Act 1981.

Mr. Dunn

The Department no longer requires these statistics to be analysed into the 10 statutory categories of handicap which applied before the Education Act 1981 came into force. Information previously collected from local education authorities about children with special educational needs educated under arrangements made by authorities under section 56 of the Education Act 1944 has now been replaced by the collection of data relating to arrangements made in accordance with section 3 of the 1981 Act. The Department has also ceased to collect details of children boarded in homes. Additionally, the Department no longer asks for information about children over the age of five for whom no education is being provided on the day that the return is made.

Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the integration of children with special educational needs since the Education Act 1981 in relation to the figures given as projections of the school population in the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1985–86 and 1987–88", volume II, table 3.10.3.

Mr. Dunn

The projected number of pupils in special schools set out in table 3.10.3 of the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1985–86 and 1987–88" assumes that a constant proportion of pupils with special educational needs will continue to be educated in special schools over the next three years. The drop in numbers between 1982–83 and 1983–84 represents a transitional year and is not regarded as a good indicator of future trends.