AIMING HIGH FOR DISABLED CHILDREN PROGRAMME

That this House congratulates the Government on its previous commitment to provide £430 million over three years for improving the services that disabled children and their families receive through the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme until 2011; congratulates the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign for the steps taken to monitor how this funding is spent and for working with primary care trusts to improve the services that they provide; notes with concern that disabled children and their families are one of society's most vulnerable and marginalised groups; further notes that rates of family breakdown are significantly higher in families with disabled children; further notes that of the UK's 770,000 disabled children, only around 6 per cent. receive any form of regular support, and that disabled children are nine times more likely to be excluded from school than other children; and calls on the Government to guarantee beyond 2011 sustained investment in the services and resources that AHDC has provided.