§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the impact of the grants for the regional deaf-blind service in Wales.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesSome £25,000 has been given to SENSE, the National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association, in 1993–94 for the establishment of a development officer post in Wales. A grant application for 1994–95 is currently under consideration.
Grant allocated by the Welsh Office Education Department under the grants for education support and training scheme has led to the establishment of a regional deaf-blind service at Ysgol Hendre, Swansea. An outreach support service is currently in operation and the centre providing educational facilities for children will open shortly.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will extend the time scale of grants for the GEST scheme for deaf-blind children;
285W(2) what is the amount of cash earmarked for the GEST scheme for the consortium of local education authorities, giving the amounts for each of West Glamorgan, Mid-Glamorgan, Dyfed and Gwent.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsWe have recently allocated grant for 1994–95 on expenditure of £18,800 to each of the four authorities involved in the south Wales deaf-blind project, a total of £75,200 for that year. No decisions have yet been taken about the extension of the grant into 1995–96.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will extend the funding of the GEST project to support the education of deaf-blind children beyond April 1995.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones).