HC Deb 14 June 2004 vol 422 cc779-80W
Paul Holmes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to increase the

Support staff employed in local education authorities in Greater London
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
London 16,760 16,750 17,990 19,100 20,000 21,500 23,600 27,000 31,000 32,300
City of London1 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 — 10
Camden 440 420 460 490 520 540 580 670 750 750
Greenwich 580 630 700 730 770 800 900 1,080 1,220 1,220
Hackney 470 450 460 490 520 530 620 710 830 900
Hammersmith and Fulham 330 350 370 390 400 390 470 490 590 590
Islington 440 440 470 480 470 510 580 640 720 770
Kensington and Chelsea 250 260 290 310 300 310 340 370 400 430
Lambeth 660 680 700 690 730 780 890 980 1,110 1,090
Lewisham 570 550 600 650 700 770 830 930 1,050 1,150
Southwark 630 630 710 760 830 890 1,050 1,190 1,320 1,360
Tower Hamlets 690 710 810 850 870 950 1,020 1,290 1,570 1,520
Wandsworth 810 750 760 770 840 850 960 980 1,090 1,170
Westminster 360 370 350 370 390 410 410 450 610 600
Barking and Dagenham 420 440 490 540 560 580 590 700 790 820
Barnet 700 720 780 810 860 920 990 1,090 1,270 1,220
Bexley 400 420 470 510 550 640 710 780 920 1,000
Brent 510 500 540 600 640 710 760 840 960 930
Bromley 550 520 570 630 660 720 780 900 990 1,090
Croydon 740 780 860 910 920 1,020 1,090 1,280 1,420 1,440
Ealing 700 620 630 680 700 740 790 920 1,030 1,040
Enfield 560 580 650 730 790 850 940 1,080 1,330 1,460
Haringey 600 600 590 630 640 670 700 830 1,010 1,040
Harrow 520 510 550 570 580 600 650 700 760 800
Havering 430 490 550 580 580 640 700 770 870 960
Hillingdon 700 680 750 800 870 900 980 1,110 1,250 1,290
Hounslow 580 560 590 630 620 650 690 770 880 870
Kingston upon Thames 280 290 310 330 340 370 410 450 510 580
Merton 390 380 400 420 450 490 500 580 660 660
Newham 520 590 630 700 760 940 1,190 1,520 1,740 2,010
Redbridge 560 510 570 600 640 700 830 920 1,080 1,140

number of books, magazines and newspapers available in large print, audio, Braille and electronic formats accessible to people with a visual impairment, dyslexia or other reading disability; and if he will make a statement. [176682]

Margaret Hodge

We are already taking a number of steps to ensure this issue is addressed. We have extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to include duties on local authorities and education institutions to improve access for disabled learners. Over £600 million will be made available over the period 2001–02 to 2005–06 to support access improvements. Officials at the Department of Trade and Industry have been in discussion with the Right to Read Alliance and the Publishers Association about the possibility of a central deposit of electronic versions of all new material published in this country. Officials have worked with the RNIB and copyright owners to reduce delays in gaining copyright clearance, when making accessible copies of printed materials and supported the establishment of the Reveal database which provides information about accessible resources.