To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to increase the efficacy of special needs education provision in Pendle.

In March 2011 the Government published their SEN and Disability Green Paper, “Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability”. The Green Paper made wide ranging proposals to improve the efficiency of special educational needs provision across the country, including in Pendle. Consultation on the Green paper closed on 30 June with over 2,300 responses received.

Proposals in the Green Paper include: a new single early years setting and school- based category of SEN; replacing the statutory SEN assessment and statement for children with complex needs and the Learning Difficulty Assessment for those aged 16-25 with a new, stronger single assessment and plan, called the Education, Health and Care plan; reducing the time limit for the statutory assessment process from 26 weeks to 20 weeks; a local offer, set out by local authorities and other services, of all services available to support children and young people who are disabled, or who have SEN and their families and the option of a personal budget by 2014 for all families with an Education, Health and Care plan.

The Green Paper also promotes a reduction in the bureaucratic burdens on professionals so that they can concentrate on helping children and young people fulfil their potential. It commits the Government to simplifying and improving statutory guidance for professionals working with children with SEN and disabilities so that it is clear accessible and helpful and to withdrawing guidance that does not provide useful support. In particular, we will shorten the SEN Code of Practice and incorporate within it other guidance that is considered helpful to professionals.

The process of commissioning pathfinders to test out some of our proposals began in June, to start from September 2011. Local pathfinders will show what is possible and whether central Government must act to facilitate local innovation, working with local areas and the voluntary and community sector to drive reforms.