§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions his Department is holding on learning disabilities in children. [176817]
§ Margaret Hodge[holding answer 10 June 2004]: Ministers and officials from my Department regularly meet organisations which represent learning disabled children and their families to ensure that their interests are reflected in the development of our policies for children. The Department's Board of Stakeholders, which I chair, includes the Director of the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) and the Chair of the Special Educational Consortium, which represents a large number of voluntary organisations in the learning disability field.
Many of these organisations responded to the Green Paper "Every Child Matters" and my ministerial colleague Baroness Ashton recently met representatives of the CDC, the Disability Rights Commission and the Learning Disability Task Force, on which the Department is represented, to discuss the implementation of Every Child Matters with regard to the needs of disabled children.
The new special educational needs (SEN) strategy "Removing Barriers to Achievement", which we published in February, will complement Every Child Matters and the Children Bill. It puts forward a strategy to improve provision for all children with SEN, including those with learning disabilities. It is a long-term strategy which was developed after discussions with a number of organisations, including ones which represent the interests of children with learning disabilities and we will involve such groups as the strategy develops. For example, we will be working with the voluntary sector to develop practical tools for involving children, including those with learning disabilities, in decisions about their own education and local SEN services.
The strategy also complements other relevant policies, where we are also working with learning disability organisations. For example. we are working with them on the Children's National Service Framework through the External Working Group on 784W disabled children and the Working Group on 14–19 reform is consulting these groups through an SEN and Equal Opportunities sub group. The Department will continue to work with the voluntary sector so that children with learning disabilities are provided with the services which will give them the opportunity to realise their potential.