HC Deb 20 April 2000 vol 348 c598W
Mr. Gerald Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children were statemented in(a) 1970, (b) 1980 and (c) 1999; and how many came from broken homes. [119767]

Jacqui Smith

There are no figures available for 1970 and 1980; statements of special educational needs were only introduced after the implementation of the 1981 Education Act, in 1983. In 1999, 255,584 children had statements. We do not collect information on the domestic arrangements of children who have statements.