To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who is responsible for the provision and maintenance of radio hearing aids for (a) pre-school children, (b) children at school and (c) students in further and higher education in Scotland.
[holding answer 19 May 1993 ]: Where a radio hearing aid is specified as special educational provision in the record of needs of a pre-school child or a child attending a school, it is the duty of a responsible education authority to arrange for the provision and maintenance of such aids.Boards of management of further education colleges have a duty to ensure that their college provides suitable and efficient further education. They have a power to provide to students such assistance of a financial or other nature as they may consider appropriate. In exercising their functions they must have regard to the requirements of those with learning difficulties. Education authorities' bursary arrangements provide a discretion to provide allowances for students with special educational needs.Within higher education it is for individual higher education institutions to consider the arrangements necessary to meet the additional learning support needs of such students. Eligible students in higher education may be entitled to disabled students' allowances, including provision for the purchase of specialist equipment as part of their student award.