HC Deb 27 February 1990 vol 168 cc171-2W
Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what actions he plans to take on the failure of Gloucestershire education authority to ensure that Beverley Lewes received an education after the age of 10 years.

Mr. Alan Howarth

My right hon. Friend is currently investigating the circumstances of the case with the Gloucestershire local education authority.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he intends to take to ensure that all deaf-blind children up to the age of 16 years receive full-time education.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The Department published a statement on the educational needs of deaf-blind children on 9 March 1989, which describes the provision currently available for these children and suggests how it might be developed. We will be following up this document later in the year, to see what progress has been made by authorities towards providing for the needs of deaf-blind children.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to identify young disabled adults who have not received the education to which they are entitled; and what steps he intends to take to redress the situation.

Mr. Jackson

As part of their general duty to provide adequate facilities for further education for their area, local education authorities are required to have regard to the requirements of persons with learning difficulties. I see no reason to remove from LEAs the primary responsibility for identifying needs or to alter the existing machinery for complaints about provision in individual cases.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether there are any circumstances under which a local education authority is not regarded by his Department as being obliged to provide full-time education to a disabled child under the age of 16 years.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Where a child has a statement of special educational needs, a local education authority is obliged, under section 7(2) of the Education Act 1981, to arrange that the special educational provision specified in the statement is made for him unless his parents have made suitable alternative arrangements for his education.