ACCESS INITIATIVE

That this House congratulates the Government on the first year of the Access Initiative fund set up to improve access to mainstream schools for disabled children; notes that although some 800 mainstream schools will benefit from the Initiative in the current financial year, there remains a wide disparity in provision of access for disabled pupils as revealed by the Coopers and Lybrand report on behalf of Scope and the National Union of Teachers and confirmed by the first access audits of schools carried out last year; further notes that the future of the Access Initiative is currently under review; and calls upon the Government to reaffirm its commitment to the Initiative and so enable many more schools to improve their access for disabled children.