§ Mr. PurchaseTo ask the Secretary of State for Eduction if he will take steps to enhance the position of hearing impaired children in respect of(a) the planning of services, (b) the responsibility for providing support services and (c) the exercise of choice for parents of hearing impaired children.
§ Mr. ForthThe Education Bill will enhance the position of all children with special educational needs, including the hearing impaired. Local education authorities will remain responsible for making assessments and statements and will do so in the light of the new code of practice embodied in the Bill. To that end, LEAs will retain the necessary support services for the hearing impaired and other children.
The Bill also extends parental choice by enabling parents of children with statements to express a preference for the maintained school at which their child should be educated and to make representations as to the non-maintained special school or independent school of their choice. Parents will be able to appeal to the new SEN tribunal if dissatisfied with the LEA's placement.