§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration his Department has given to the criticisms of the Education Act 1981 made in the report, "A Hard Act to Follow", published by the Spastics Society, if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Forth"A Hard Act to Follow" has been given very careful consideration. I met representatives of the Spastics Society and discussed the findings of the report on 24 September 1992. I have already publicly welcomed the document as a useful piece of research, and have noted that the findings will add stimulus to the current debate on special educational needs. In many respects, the report confirmed the need for the Government's new measures, which had already been announced in chapter 9 of the White Paper, "Choice and Diversity", and elsewhere.