Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Hardy Excerpts

Monday 8th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Rishi Sunak]

The recent Budget provided more than £400 million for children’s services but, beyond money, it is important to note that it is quality of leadership that makes the difference in providing for vulnerable children. The hon. Lady’s own council recently won a prestigious award for being the best council in the country, and its leader remarked that

“we are still able to give residents first class care”.

[Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle) (Lab)]

11. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving local authority support for vulnerable children.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rishi Sunak)]

I am working closely with colleagues at the Department for Education to ensure that local authorities can properly support vulnerable children. I recently gave evidence to the Communities and Local Government Committee together with the Children’s Minister on that very topic.

[Emma Hardy]

As the Minister is aware, the Select Committee is doing an inquiry into children with special needs and disabilities. One of the things that comes back from all the evidence is the fact that support is often based on the resources available and not on the child’s needs. Will the Minister ensure that funding for the high needs block is based on need and not on historical data?

[Rishi Sunak]

Responsibility for high needs funding rests with the Department for Education, but I would be more than happy to raise that point with my colleagues.