The Government do not collect information on the time taken by local authorities to carry out statutory assessments of children with special educational needs. However, where they have decided that a statement is appropriate, local authorities are required to issue a draft statement within 18 weeks of receiving a request for an assessment and a final statement within 26 weeks (with exceptions set out in regulations made under the Education Act 1996).
The Audit Commission publish figures on the proportion of draft statements issued by each local authority within 18 weeks of the start of the statutory assessment process. This information1, broken down by local authority is available from http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp.
1 Best Value Performance Indicator 43a and b give the proportion of draft statements issued within 18 weeks excluding and including the permitted exceptions to the time limits respectively since 2000-01. The proportion of draft statements issued within 18 weeks excluding exceptions was collected as indicator K12b from 1997-98 until 1999-2000 and as indicator K10b in 1996-97.
The following table gives the national percentages of draft statements issued within 18 weeks for the years requested.
Percentage of draft statements issued within 18 weeks excluding permitted exceptions Percentage of draft statements issued within 18 weeks including permitted exceptions1 2005-06 96.0 82.7 2004-05 92.0 76.4 2003-04 89.3 68.2 2002-03 86.9 64.7 2001-02 85.4 62.0 2000-012 82.5 57.1 1999-2000 77.2 — 1998-99 66.5 — 1997-983 53.5 — 1996-974 48.2 — 1 Data not collected in this format prior to 2000-01. 2 From 2000-01 onwards, these data reflect Best Value Performance Indicator 43a and 43b. 3 From, 1997-98 until 1999-2000, these data reflect Local Authority Performance Indicator K12b. 4 In 1996-97, these data reflect Local Authority Performance Indicator K10b.