§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he estimates introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 will cost in respect of(a) staff training costs. (b) other recurrent costs and (c) capital costs over the quinquennium from September 2002, broken down by local education authority. [87116]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisLocal education authorities (LEAs) and schools are able to use record increases in funding for education made available by the Government, of £12.8 billion between 2002–03 and 2005–06 (of which £2.7 billion is capital) to implement their duties under the SEN and Disability Act 2001.
Increases in the SEN Standards Fund and the Schools Access Initiative have provided specific sources of extra funding for local education authorities and schools to meet the requirements to include pupils with special educational needs and disabilities within schools and to establish local parent partnership and disagreement resolution services.
In 2002–03 a total of £91 million was made available to LEAs and schools to support the needs of pupils with SEN and disabilities and vulnerable children from the Standards Fund and in 2003–04 will remain at this record level. Eligible expenditure from the fund includes training and between 1999 and 2002 the fund has been used to establish parent partnership services, which are now statutory services.
Substantial funding has been provided, and continues to be provided under the schools access initiative to improve access for disabled children which is standing at £70 million this year and will increase again to £100 million from 2003–04 for the next three years.