Commencement, citation, interpretation and extent

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Disability Statements for Local Education Authorities) (Wales) Regulations 1997 and shall come into force on 30th October 1997.

(2) In these Regulations "the authority" means the local education authority by whom the disability statement is published.

(3) These Regulations apply only in relation to local education authorities in Wales.

Information to be contained in disability statements

2. Information contained in a disability statement about the provision of facilities for further education made by the authority in respect of disabled persons shall cover the following matters-

(a)the policies of the authority relating to the provision of facilities for further education;

(b)the names of, and the titles of posts held by, members of the staff of the authority with special responsibilities for disabled persons specifying in each case whether the member of the staff has such responsibilities in respect of all facilities for further education secured by the authority or in respect only of such facilities provided at particular institutions;

(c)the names of, and the titles of the posts held by, members of the staff of the authority from whom information about admission arrangements can be obtained;

(d)educational facilities and support provided by the authority specifically for disabled persons;

(e)arrangements for handling complaints and (where applicable) appeals in respect of any of the matters mentioned in paragraphs (d) above or (f) and (g) below;

(f)additional support or special arrangements during examinations and assessments;

(g)physical access to educational and other facilities;

(h)any special arrangements made by the authority as to fees charged for the provision of further education (including special arrangements for the provision of such facilities without charge).

Intervals at which disability statements must be published

3.-(1) The interval between the date on which these Regulations come into force and the date of publication by the authority of their first disability statement shall be such that the first disability statement is published by 30th January 1998.

(2) The interval between publication of subsequent disability statements shall be such that the next statement is published by 31st December in the year in which the first statement was required to be published, and each subsequent statement is published by 31st December in the year following the year in which the previous statement was published.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 528 of the Education Act 1996 provides that every local education authority must publish disability statements at prescribed intervals. A disability statement is a statement containing information of a prescribed description about the provision of facilities for further education made by the local education authority in respect of disabled persons.

These Regulations, which apply only in relation to Wales, prescribe the information which must be contained in a disability statement (regulation 2) and the intervals at which such statements should be published (regulation 3).