HC Deb 20 July 2001 vol 372 c779W
Mr. Hoban

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding is available to schools with special educational needs; and how much is available under each stream. [5374]

Mr. Timms

[holding answer 19 July 2001]: Funding for schools is allocated and distributed via local education authorities (LEAs) under local arrangements for the Fair Funding of schools. It is for individual LEAs and schools to decide spending priorities for pupils with special educational needs.

In the current year more than £22 billion is available for the education of school children including children with special educational needs. Over £1 billion of this is used by LEAs to provide additional support for children with special educational needs. In addition, when allocating budgets to schools in 2000–01, LEAs identified over £1.7 billion as notionally allocated towards special educational needs.

We have also made £82 million of supported expenditure available for special educational needs in this year's Standards Fund. This compares to £55 million last year. The fund can be used for a range of activities including training for staff in special educational needs, improvements in speech and language therapy provision for children with communication difficulties, the provision of information and advice to parents and the greater inclusion of children with special educational needs in the mainstream.

In addition to their normal funding, all schools in England have received funding through the School Standards Grant. The Grant will total £640 million in the current financial year. A typical secondary school will receive an extra £70,000 and a typical primary £24,000. Special Schools with up to 100 pupils will receive £20,000 in the 2001–02 financial year and those with over 100 pupils will receive £28,000.

Mr. Hoban

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with special educational needs were on roll in each local education authority in(a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001 broken down by those without and those with statements. [5375]

Mr. Timms

[holding answer 19 July 2001]: The available data are contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.