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Communication Aids Project

Volume 449: debated on Wednesday 13 September 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many children received equipment under the Communication Aids Project up to March 2006; and if he will make a statement; (90562)

(2) what assessment has been made of the impact on users of ending the Communication Aids Project; what plans there are for further funding of the project; and if he will make a statement.

The Communication Aids Project (CAP) went live in April 2002 and closed in March 2006. During the lifetime of the project, 4,193 children received equipment geared to their particular needs based on specialised assessments.

CAP was a time-limited DFES initiative intended to supplement, not replace, provision made by local agencies such as local authorities, schools and health authorities. No assessment has been made of the impact of closure on users and there are no plans at present to renew funding for the project.