HC Deb 09 December 1998 vol 322 cc238-9W
Ms Christine Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the 1997–98 annual report from the President of the SEN Tribunal will be published; and if he will make a statement. [63431]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The report has been published today, and copies have been placed in the Library.

The Tribunal provides a valuable and independent mechanism for considering parents' appeals against decisions of local education authorities. It is of credit to all those working with the Tribunal—the President, the members, and the secretariat staff—that the Tribunal has maintained its targets for dealing with appeals, in spite of the increased volume of such appeals. The Tribunal has earned a much deserved reputation for fairness and impartiality and for ensuring that its hearings are as informal as possible.