Oral Answers to Questions

Debbie Abrahams Excerpts

Monday 27th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lewis Cocking (Broxbourne) (Con)]

10. What steps her Department is taking to improve special educational needs provision.

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

12. What progress she has made on improving support for children with SEND.

[David Taylor (Hemel Hempstead) (Lab)]

17. What steps she is taking to improve SEND services.

--- Later in debate ---

[Catherine McKinnell]

I recognise the story that the hon. Gentleman tells. Indeed, it is told by many families up and down the country. He should recognise that this legacy was left by the last Conservative Government for many families and many children, letting them down. We are working incredibly hard to reform our system with a curriculum and assessment review, with capital investment and by working with local authorities to improve the education, health and care plan process and the timeliness of assessments. We will continue to do that to clean up the mess.

[Debbie Abrahams]

I recognise what my hon. Friend says: she has inherited an appalling situation from the last Government. A recent Public Accounts Committee report bore that out. Can she give a little more information on how she will reduce the number of families not getting timely assessments? How will she address the doubling of demand for assessments?

[Catherine McKinnell]

My hon. Friend is right to refer to the worrying findings of the Public Accounts Committee on the situation we are in. As she rightly identifies, it is our ambition that all children receive the right support to succeed, where possible within mainstream schools. That will need education, health and care plans to be processed more effectively, but also for mainstream schools in and of themselves to be supported to become inclusive, so that children and their families are not left waiting. That will help to reduce the cost of transport, because far too many children are being transported to other local authorities over great distance and time, as they cannot be educated locally. All these measures will not only drive down the challenges for families, but get much better outcomes for the money being spent.