HC Deb 30 November 1998 vol 321 cc63-5W
Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many primary schools provide computers with voice-driven software for dyslexic students; [60961]

(2) how many secondary schools provide an audio tape library for dyslexic pupils; [60962]

(3) how many secondary schools provide computers with voice-driven software for dyslexic pupils; [60963]

(4) how many primary schools provide an audio tape library for dyslexic pupils. [60964]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The information requested is not held centrally. Schools are expected to explore the possible benefits of and, where practicable, secure access for a child to appropriate information communications technology. Where such equipment is identified as educational provision and it appears in Part 3 of a statement of special educational needs the local education authority has a duty to see that the equipment is provided.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of screening all rising fives for dyslexia. [60953]

Mr. Charles Clarke

This information is not held centrally. The Education Act 1996 states that those responsible for a nursery school's governance shall use their best endeavours to secure that appropriate special educational provision is made for all their registered pupils with learning difficulties. Local education authorities expect that they will follow broadly the same procedures for identifying and meeting these needs as the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs recommends for children of compulsory school age.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received on the ring fencing of special education funds for dyslexia. [60957]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Government's plans for the further development of financial delegation to schools will require local education authorities to inform schools what part of their budgets are set with reference to pupils' special educational needs, but will continue to give governing bodies flexibility to decide their actual spending on special needs within the total budgets available to them. The majority of consultation responses on this proposal welcomed the clarity it would bring but were opposed to ring fencing an element of school budgets for special needs.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice is offered by his Department to selective entry schools on making special provision for the needs of dyslexic children in entrance tests. [61197]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Children with special educational needs but without statements must be treated as fairly as other applicants. Admission authorities may not refuse to admit a pupil because they consider themselves unable to cater for his or her special educational needs. Admission authorities must consider applications from children who have special educational needs but no statement, on the basis of the school's published admission criteria. They cannot refuse to admit a pupil on the grounds that he or she does not have a statement of special educational needs, or is currently being assessed for one. Where admission authorities give some priority to children with special educational needs but without a statement, their published admission arrangements should state in what way their arrangements differ for such children.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in each local education authority area are identified as being dyslexic in the most recently available figures. [60952]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Provisions in the Education Act 1981, now consolidated into the Education Act 1996, require schools to submit information on numbers of pupils with special educational needs. There is no requirement for them to record the nature of the disability or learning difficulty. The Statistical Bulletin Special Educational Needs in England published annually summarises the information available on special educational needs. This includes details of pupils with statements by local education authority area and region, and details of pupils, with and without statements, in maintained primary and secondary schools by local education authority area and region.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the methods used by local education authorities to identify children with dyslexia; and if he will publish the guidelines. [60949]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Guidance to help schools and local education authorities identify and assess children with specific learning difficulties, which includes dyslexia, is contained in the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs. The Code was published in May 1994.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what information he has on the number of unemployed people who are identified as dyslexic during a jobseeker's allowance interview. [60965]

Mr. Andrew Smith

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated November 1998: As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your question concerning the number of people who are identified as dyslexic during a Jobseeker's Allowance interview. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. The Employment Service does not keep statistics on the number of unemployed people identified as having dyslexia. Where an individual is identified as having dyslexia they can be referred to a Disability Employment Adviser for specialist support to help them find employment. I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful on this occasion.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will publish the amount spent per local education authority on(a) identifying children with dyslexia and (b) educational support for such children in the last year for which figures are available; [60954]

(2) what is his estimate of the amount of specialist help in terms of (a) cost and (b) time given to each dyslexic child through stages one to five; [60955]

(3) what monitoring of expenditure by local education authorities on dyslexia is undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement; [60956]

(4) what estimate he has made of the time allotted by each local education authority to dyslexic children for special help for each of stages one to five in the last year for which figures are available. [60958]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Department does not collect information on time spent or cost of education provision made by type of special educational need per local education authority or school. The Education Act 1996 and Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs recognises that every child has individual needs, including those children with dyslexia, and requires that local education authorities shall have regard to their duty to meet those needs. Similarly, school governing bodies shall use their best endeavours to see that they provide for pupils with special educational needs. This implies that children whose dyslexia requires special provision should have their educational needs identified and provided for appropriately.