Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Coleman Excerpts

Monday 2nd March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)]

7. What steps she is taking to improve SEND provision in schools.

[Ben Coleman (Chelsea and Fulham) (Lab)]

18. What steps she is taking to improve SEND provision in schools.

[Jo Platt (Leigh and Atherton) (Lab/Co-op)]

22. What steps she is taking to improve SEND provision in schools.

--- Later in debate ---

[Bridget Phillipson]

Yes, I am happy to give my hon. Friend that commitment. We will ensure that every secondary school, and a similar number of primary schools, have that kind of support, and we will work with local authorities to set up specialist bases. As part of our £3.7 billion high-need capital investment, we will create 60,000 new specialist places nationwide to make sure that more children get the specialist support they deserve. I encourage parents and staff in his constituency and across Cannock Chase to share their views during the consultation period.

[Ben Coleman]

This plan is to be welcomed. It rightly recognises that families of children with SEND are absolutely exhausted from having to fight and battle for the support they need. I therefore strongly welcome the commitment to end that and to give over 1 million children, for the first time, legally enforceable rights through the individual support plans. But concerns have been expressed to me that, without clear enforcement, ISPs risk repeating the same problem, so can the Secretary of State tell me what happens if a school does not follow a child’s plan? Will parents have a legal right to enforce what an ISP says? In short, how will the Government ensure that these are genuine entitlements and not just more promises that families have to battle to see honoured?