§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals have been made to him against the terms of records of needs for children with special needs under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 in the last four years; what are the average and maximum times taken to process such appeals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn the four-year period from 1989 to 1992, 13 appeals were referred to the Secretary of State under section 64(1)(a) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. Of these, six appeals received in 1992 are still under consideration. The other seven appeals were determined on average within eight months but in one case processing took 12 months. The considerations involved in the appeals process are invariably complex, but steps are being taken to bring outstanding appeals to a conclusion as quickly as possible.