To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to improve the quality of services provided to disabled children. (207423)

In May 2007 the Government announced Aiming High for Disabled Children which is now a joint delivery programme between DCSF and Department of Health. DCSF are investing £430 million over this CSR period to transform short break services, improve accessible childcare for families with disabled children and improve the transition of disabled young people from child to adulthood.

Recent achievements include:

21 short break pathfinder areas announced in January 2008

10 childcare accessibility pilot sites announced on 15 May 2008;

£8.4 million additional funding to enable the Family Fund Trust to provide grants to 16 and 17-year-old severely disabled young people from low income families announced in the Children's Plan in December 2007

Publication on 15 May 2008 of the National Core Offer setting out national expectations of how services are delivered for disabled children, young people and families, and supporting materials to help LAs and PCTs implement the Core Offer locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to assist parents by increasing access to childcare for disabled children. (207425)

The Government’s Aiming High for Disabled Children programme, announced in May 2007, included additional funding of £35 million for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 to develop projects to improve access to childcare for disabled children and young people and to reduce the attitudinal barriers which inhibit the take-up of such childcare. 10 local authorities have been selected as the first wave of pilots in the Disabled Children's Access to Childcare programme, and will begin work in autumn 2008. Emerging best practice identified from these pilots will be rolled out more widely.