HL Deb 29 March 2001 vol 624 cc61-3WA
Lord Northbourne

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their estimate of the total number of children with statements of special educational needs who will require places in mainstream schools under the provisions of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill in each of the next five years; and how many mainstream schools will be involved in accepting such pupils; and [HL1400]

What savings they expect in each of the next five years as a result of the closure of special schools and the reduction in the size of special schools following the transfer of more children with special educational needs and disabilities from special schools to mainstream schools as required by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill; and whether these savings will be used to help pay for additional support for those children in mainstream schools. [HL1405]

The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)

The Government want an education service to offer excellence and choice for all. The SEN and Disability Bill does not require the closure of special schools. The Bill strengthens the right to a mainstream place for children who have statements. It does not make it harder for parents whose children have statements to gain a place for them in a special school. A parent's right to express a preference for a maintained special school or to make representations to have a non-maintained school named in their child's statement is being fully maintained.

There is a continuing and vital role for special schools. The Government want all special schools to become outward-looking centres of excellence working in partnership with mainstream schools. The proportion of pupils in special schools fell from 1.3 per cent in 1991 to 1.2 per cent in 1995 but has remained constant in each of the last six years.

Inclusion is not about cost cutting. Research suggests that in time inclusion can provide savings. The Government believe that any such saving should be used to benefit all pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities. Significant resources have been made available to help support the inclusion of children with special educational needs or disabilities. The SEN standards fund will rise from £55 million in 2000–01 to £82 million from April. In addition, £220 million is being provided over the next three years from April via the School Access Initiative to help schools become more accessible.

Lord Northbourne

asked Her Majesty' Government:

What existing services they suggest local education authorities should cut back to pay for any additional expenditure on support services for special educational needs and disabled pupils in mainstream schools as a result of the provisions of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill: and [HL1403]

What existing services they suggest that schools should cut back, in order to be able to pay for any additional expenditure (capital or recurrent) for which the school will become liable out of its existing budget as a result of the provisions of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill. [HL1404]

Baroness Blackstone

There is no need for authorities to cut existing services, as substantial extra resources are being provided.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill will advance civil rights for disabled people in education and help to improve provision for all children with special educational needs.

We are making significant resources available to support the implementation of the Bill. In particular, next year (2001–02) we will make £82 million of supported expenditure available through Standards Fund, for special educational needs. This will be available for training for staff of pupils with 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 SEN in the mainstream. We are also making available £220 million between 2001 and 2004, under the Schools Access Initiative, to help schools improve both access to premises and the curriculum for pupils with SEN and disabilities.

In addition, as a result of the March budget announcement there will be over £800 million increase in education spending in England over the next three years. Funding per pupil in 2001–02 will now he over £200 higher in real terms than in 2000–01. Additional direct funding to schools over and above normal funding will mean that a typical primary school will get an extra £24,000 next year, while a typical secondary will receive an extra £70,000.

The Government published Explanatory Notes and a Regulatory Impact Assessment with the Bill which estimated the effect of the Bill on public sector finances and the private and voluntary sectors respectively. The documents estimated that the costs of the provisions to local education authorities and schools would be relatively minor given the large amount of funding already made available for special educational needs provision and disability access. The duties to plan to increase the accesssibility of schools will require schools and local education authorities to plan within the context of the resourses available to them.

Greater inclusion can require quite modest changes or changes to practices that are cost free. Inclusion will become a reality only where there is an attitudinal change, and that does not necessarily cost money.

We do not believe that there will be a reduction in provision for pupils with special educational needs provided by LEAs or a reduction in services provided by schools as a result of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill.