Mrs Hutchings (right) and Allison Edwards, who spoke to Mr Blair

But he insisted that most children with special needs were better off in mainstream schools.

Mr Ladyman was speaking the day after Tony Blair was tackled on live TV by the mother of an autistic child who fears his school will close.

The prime minister later took time to meet with the woman.

Cynical?

The parent, Maria Hutchings, had interrupted the premier as he talked about the issue of school discipline on channel Five's The Wright Stuff.

Despite protestations to the contrary by Essex County Council, she believes Cedar Hall in Thundersley, the school attended by her 10-year-old child, is under threat of closure.

Special schools perform a vital role in our education system Lib Dem Phil Willis

After private discussions with Mr Blair she said: "He felt sorry for what we had to go through. He said that he would be looking into all this personally."

Tory education spokesman Tim Collins, said: "I think it is clear that the present policy, of a very strong presumption in favour of inclusion, is not working.

"That is why we are advocating both dropping that presumption, imposing a moratorium on the closure of special schools, and I think we also need to look at the whole statementing process because many parents feel they have to fight to get the treatment for their children. That can't be right."

Since 1997 ministers had closed more than 70 special schools, he said, adding that was nearly one a month.

'Vital role'

The Liberal Democrat spokesman, Phil Willis, said children should be taught in "the most appropriate setting".

"Special schools perform a vital role in our education system and the Liberal Democrats support expanding their role by linking them to local universities and colleges so that they can become centres of research and excellence," he said.

Mr Ladyman told BBC News that Labour policy was to allow decisions to be made on the basis of the needs of the individual child.

"The first thing we have to get right is spotting autism much earlier, intervening earlier, and then making choices which are dependent on the needs of each individual child."

Consistent on places?

He acknowledged that schools did not always succeed in identifying and providing appropriate support.

"It doesn't happen all the time. I encourage people who are having this experience to download from the Department for Education website a copy of their best practice guidance and use their experience to judge the way that their local education authority is behaving."

The Department for Education and Skills said the number of places in special schools had "remained consistent" since 1997 - "what we are delivering is bigger, better special schools".

Following her outburst on Wednesday Mrs Hutchings told reporters at the television studio in Birmingham that she had been inspired by Sharon Storer, who tackled Mr Blair about her husband's cancer treatment during the last general election campaign.