§ Ms. ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Wailes what specific funding has been available to Welsh local education authorities to enable access to school and college buildings for pupils and teachers with disabilities in each of the last 10 years; and if he has any plans to make specific grants available to local education authorities to carry out necessary capital works to facilitate physical access for people with disabilities.
§ Mr. GristUnder the arrangements agreed with local authorities in Wales, capital resources are not hypothecated to specific services. It is for the authorities themselves to determine priorities between and within services, and therefore to decide how much to spend on facilitating physical access to educational buildings for people with disabilities.
§ Ms. ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he gives to local education authorities in Wales on the standards of access for people with disabilities for new designs for and adaptations to school and college buildings; and whether he will consult interested parties regarding statutory provision for standards of access for new school and college buildings.
§ Mr. GristGuidance is given to local education authorities in design note No. 18 (1984) "Access for disabled people to Educational Buildings" and in building bulletin 61. The design note is based on the recommendations of a working party comprising representatives of interested parties.
§ Ms. ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many nursery, primary and secondary schools in Wales are fully accessible to pupils and teachers with disabilities; what are these figures as percentages of the total number of schools; and if he will make a statement.