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Special Educational Needs

It is always a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Binley), who is able to bring his wide experience as a county councillor and his deep knowledge of these problems to bear on the subject before us. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mrs. Dorries) on securing this important debate. I declare an interest, because I have a son of six who is mildly autistic. As a parent, I know the many challenges that one must face to secure a child's needs. I shall not go into too much detail on that, but I will make one or two points that have been brought home to me through my own experience. I turn to the statementing process and the assessment of special needs. Most parents assume that once they have secured a statement everything will move forward smoothly and slot into place, and that everything will work out satisfactorily and favourably for parent and child. In some cases, that undoubtedly happens. Some LEAs are very good indeed at implementing statements and ensuring that the child's needs are examined and fulfilled. However, I am afraid that, all too often, the reverse is the case. Every MP and councillor and many parents know only too well that that is only the start of the process and that, time and again, they will have to take the case to a tribunal. Many constituents have come to me with cases that one would have thought should have proceeded simply, but have not, and they have had to go to a tribunal. I had to take our case to a tribunal because the LEA—which was not Norfolk; I shall not say which it was—did not give us what we needed. Therefore, I know only too well how the tribunal system works. It is not straightforward and the costs are significant; the stress is enormous and the uncertainty is extremely undesirable and unpleasant.