Education Debate

Mr. John Redwood (Wokingham): Has my hon. Friend discovered, as I often doin constituency cases, that caring parents who have a child who needsspecial assistance often have a good understanding of the child's problemand a clear view of which local education institution would be best athandling it, but that the council often blocks the parents' preferredchoice? Often they are told that there is not sufficient Government moneycoming through for that purpose. Does my hon. Friend think that parentalchoice should be better respected, and would she want the Government tomakesure that that was possible? In my view, caring parents are often the bestjudges of what is needed.