§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the requirement on local authorities to establish a register of children with disabilities; how many local authorities do so; what proportion that is of all local authorities; and whether the established registers are comparable.
§ Baroness CumberlegeLocal authorities are required by paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Children2WA Act 1989 to keep a register of children with disabilities. The first report to Parliament of the working of the Children Act 1989 (a copy of which is available in the Library) shows that, at 30th June 1992, 73 local authorities in England had completed their arrangements for establishing such a register. Agreed common criteria with other local authority departments should ensure that registers are comparable.
§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there is a requirement on local authorities to include (1) babies born without eyes (2) those with small eyes and (3) those with damaged optic nerves in local authority registers of children with disabilities; and how satisfied they are that all babies with these defects are included in the registers.
§ Baroness CumberlegeIn maintaining a register of disabled children, local authorities are required to include children who are blind, substantially and permanently handicapped by congenital deformity or such other disability as may be prescribed. The conditions referred to by the noble Lord should, therefore, be included in the registers. It should be noted, however, that there is no duty on parents to register their children.