§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the provision of education for deaf children by local education authorities in circumstances where a local education authority is not prepared to support financially a successful candidate to schools such as the Mary Hare grammar school for the deaf or Burwood Park school.
§ Mr. DunnLocal education authorities are required by the Education Act 1981 to make appropriate provisions for the education of children with special educational needs. An authority is under no obligation to support financially the education of such children at non-maintained schools if it can make satisfactory provision at one of it own maintained schools. The Authority's decision in any individual case does not remove a parent's rights of appeal 335W to the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Education Act 1981, or of complaint under the Education Act 1944.