To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of referred children received a provisional assessment of special educational needs statement within 18 weeks in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement. (181798)

Children may be referred to their local authority for a statutory assessment of special educational needs through, a request from their school or setting, a request from their parent or a referral by another agency. The local authority must then decide whether to conduct an assessment based on the initial evidence provided. The Government do not hold data on the total number of children referred for a statutory assessment.

Following a statutory assessment, the local authority must decide whether or not a child should receive a statement. The number of children in each local authority who receive a statutory assessment but do not receive a statement is recorded and is set out for each year from 1998 below.

The Audit Commission publishes 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

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.