§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve the availability of reading material for those with reading disabilities. [171265]
§ Margaret HodgeDuring the past three financial years £220 million has been made available to schools through the Schools Access Initiative; a further £100 million per annum is available for the current year706W and for 2005–06. This funding can be used to produce materials in alternative formats to enable access to the curriculum for pupils who have reading disabilities.
It is for schools and local education authorities (LEAs) to ensure that such materials are produced in good time, so that children with reading disabilities are not disadvantaged. Schools and LEAs can use the Department for Education and Skills' Special Educational Needs inclusion site to share information about materials that are required; in production; or already available in different formats.