Post-16 Education and Skills: Funding

Lord Weir of Ballyholme Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I was not expecting quite that angle, but the right reverend Prelate raises a very important point. It is absolutely heartbreaking when you know that children are eligible for this funding but, for whatever reason, the family do not come to the attention of people who could support them. I will look into the detail that the right reverend Prelate asked for and get back to him.

[Lord Weir of Ballyholme (DUP)]

My Lords, I refer to my registered interests in the FE sector. Although there is an excellent job being done by schools and FE bodies in support of young people aged 16-19, we sometimes concentrate on the institutions rather than the individual students. There is a concern that some young people with additional needs do not necessarily fit into the funding categories. What additional steps are the Government taking to ensure that young people do not fall between the cracks of the different levels of funding, which risks them getting into a downward cycle and ending up as NEETs?