Education and Inspections Bill

This has been a good debate, which has confirmed what I said at the outset, which is that there is a need for a proper review of special needs education. That is something that could emanate from your Lordships' House as the level of debate, knowledge, experience and concern on the issue speaks volumes in what has been said both today and in previous debates on the Bill. I do not want to detain the Committee but, briefly, I entirely concur with the noble Lord, Lord Dearing. As I said, there is a real problem with regard to statementing and funding and, somehow, we need to separate that process. As he said, this is a complex issue. I accept what the Minister said about the law stating that there should be a choice between special needs schools and mainstream schools but in fact, because of issues, especially funding, a different thing seems to be happening on the ground. There is real inconsistency across the country among LEAs. That is a strong impression, which is confirmed from our experience from talking to people directly affected. That does not merely affect parents who are unable or find it difficult to read. For parents there are hugely confrontational moments with local authorities. That is agony for all parents. This is an extremely difficult area and one in which the problems are manifest among more and more young children—ironically, as the noble Lord has attested, because of medical advances. This is not something that will go away; it is something that we must sort out for the future chances of all those children. For now, I will take away what the Minister said about our amendments, read it in Hansard and beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 165 and 165A not moved.] Clause 40 agreed to.