HC Deb 26 November 1990 vol 181 cc287-8W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students confined to a wheelchair are currently enrolled in primary and secondary schools; and what information he has on the number unable to be offered places due to lack of funds or facilities.

Mr. Alan Howarth

This information is not collected centrally. It is for local education authorities to determine their own policies to accomplish the integration of pupils with physical disabilities in ordinary schools.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many deaf-blind students are currently enrolled in primary and secondary schools; what provisions have been made for them; and what plans for improvement are to be implemented in the near future.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Precise identification of deaf-blind students is difficult because the degrees of deafness and blindness vary and may be combined with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. These make accurate diagnosis difficult. The latest information available to the Department is that some 800 deaf-blind pupils are currently enrolled in all maintained, including special, schools. Responsibility for educational provision for deaf-blind students rests with local education authorities.

In 1989 the Department issued a policy statement on the educational needs of these children, which is intended to provide a framework within which local education authorities and bodies responsible for non-maintained schools will be able to plan services and make suitable provision for deaf-blind students. We have undertaken a consultation exercise with local education authorities to follow up the policy statement, and are proposing, a joint seminar with SENSE early in 1991 to disseminate the results of that exercise.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the estimated figures of primary or secondary age blind-deaf students on waiting lists to be admitted to special schools and how long is the average wait for admittance.

Mr. Alan Howarth

This information is not collected centrally.