Post-16 Education and Skills: Funding

Lord Young of Cookham Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a very complex issue. There are no simple answers for why an individual young person falls out of the system. The point that he makes, quite rightly, is that there needs to be far better connection and communication between all the relevant agencies that might have contact with that young person, whether through their families, parents or previous schools. There is still a terrible gap between the primary and secondary phases, for example. I reassure the noble Lord that we are investing significantly in SEND funding and are targeting the funding that we have at the most disadvantaged, but his point is right: we need to focus on those young people. We need to reach out to them, understand what barriers are preventing them from taking part in education and move with them, together.

[Lord Young of Cookham (Con)]

My noble friend Lord Effingham is one of the politest men in your Lordships’ House. Would the Minister disassociate herself from the accusation that he is “strident”?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I have a very good relationship with the noble Earl and I think he might be slightly flattered to be described as “strident”. I rest my case.