Health minister Jacqui Smith has set out plans to overhaul services for the UK's 1.2 million people with learning disabilities.

The proposals for an overhaul of the services provided for those with learning disabilities are the first in 30 years and will see a shift from long-stay hospitals to community accommodation, specialist local services for people with severe challenging behaviour and integrated facilities for children with severe disabilities.

Forum Response: British Dyslexia Association

A spokesman for the British Dyslexia Association told ePolitix.com: "We welcome the broad thrust of the government's commitment to raising the standards of care and provision to the learning disabled. We know the enormous cost to the state of the failure to address these issues, for example 60 per cent of youth offenders have poor literacy and numeracy levels, leading them to be excluded from society.

"However we cannot afford a repeat of the introduction of the Community Care programme, when expectations were raised, premises closed and adequate provision not put in place to meet the needs. Community-based care is not cheap.

"We look to the government to ensure that such programmes fully include all interested groups, included voluntary organisations working in partnership with the government in programmes, which are fully funded and resourced."