HC Deb 30 October 2003 vol 412 c366W
Jonathan Shaw

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what reasons were given by the President of the Tribunal for allowing the Special Educational Needs Tribunal hearing to be heard in public on the last six occasions. [135314]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Regulations provide for SENDIST hearings to be in private unless:

  1. (a) both parties request a public hearing, in which case the tribunal has no discretion;
  2. (b) the President orders that the hearing should be in public.

The President of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal has never exercised his discretion to order that a hearing should be in public.