Home-to-School Transport: Children with SEND Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Education
Jo Platt
Main Page: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)Department Debates - View all Jo Platt's debates with the Department for Education
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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Jo Platt (Leigh and Atherton) (Lab/Co-op)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) for raising this important issue, and I briefly want to mention my local authority. Since 2017, the number of children and young people requiring SEND transport has surged by more than 80% in Wigan, while the costs have exploded by 103%. To put that into perspective, this year alone the council is facing a £2 million overspend against a £5.53 million budget.
Over the past five academic years, demand for SEND transport has skyrocketed, and it is on an unsustainable trajectory that cannot be ignored. As my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock rightly pointed out, the statutory framework is no longer fit for purpose.
This issue extends far beyond any one council or region; the pressures we see are a national concern. Local authorities that are already stretched thin are facing mounting financial strain. If we do not act soon, we risk eroding the very support that children with SEND rely on to access their education.