Written - Additional Learning Needs – Legislative Competence Order

I am pleased to announce that a proposed Legislative Competence Order (LCO), the first of its kind under the new powers confirmed on the National Assembly for Wales by the Government of Wales Act 2006, will be laid today.  The Order has been developed in response to the review of Special Educational Needs (SEN) undertaken by the Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills Committee (ELLS).  This Order will be referred to as the Additional Learning Needs Legislative Competence Order, which better reflects the competence that is sought.  I will make an Oral Statement during Plenary on 12 June.

The Welsh Assembly Government set out in ‘The Learning Country – Vision into Action’ the intention to develop an ‘Inclusion Policy and Performance Framework for Wales that builds on a whole school and community approach to meeting additional learning’ and to introduce ‘an action plan in response to the recommendations of ELLS Committee Review of SEN’.

The ELLS Committee concluded its review of SEN in March 2007, having set out to examine many of the fundamental elements of the existing system, especially early identification and intervention, statutory assessment, Statementing and transition.

The principal purpose therefore, of this LCO is to empower the Assembly to make Assembly Measures under part 3 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 that will enable implementation of key components of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Special Educational Needs/Additional Learning Needs policy in Wales, including matters dealt with in the former ELLS Committee review.