LEARNING DISABLED ATHLETES AND THE PARALYMPIC GAMES

Early day motion 154, tabled 24 November 2004 by Martin Caton (Labour). Signed by 49 members.

That this House regrets the exclusion from the 2004 Paralympic Games of all learning disabled athletes as a result of a dispute between the International Paralympic Committee and the International Sports Federation for People with Intellectual Disability about verification procedures; believes that people with learning disability should be able and entitled to compete at the highest level of sport; is deeply concerned that, at its Extraordinary General Meeting on 25th November, in Cairo, the International Paralympic Committee may permanently ban all learning disabled athletes from participating in the Paralympic Games; recognises that funding for disability sport is dependent on participation in the Paralympic Games; calls on both the International Paralympic Committee and the International Sports Federation for People with Intellectual Disability to work constructively to find a way of testing learning disability and its impact on sporting capacity that is mutually acceptable; and urges the UK Government to use its influence to help secure a satisfactory agreement that will see learning disabled athletes once more eligible to compete in the Paralympic Games.

Signatures by party: Labour 27, Liberal Democrat 11, Labour/Co-operative 5, DUP 2, UUP 2, Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1.