Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Monday 23rd October 2023 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Lewer (Northampton South) (Con)]

7. What steps her Department is taking to improve provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

10. What steps her Department is taking to improve provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

[Valerie Vaz (Walsall South) (Lab)]

15. What steps she is taking to improve support for children with special educational needs in Walsall South constituency.

--- Later in debate ---

[David Johnston]

My hon. Friend is right to say that tribunals are costly and stressful, but it is important to say that most education, health and care needs assessments and plans are concluded without a tribunal hearing. We will be introducing new national standards, strengthened mediation and greater system-wide accountability to give families the support they need earlier and reduce the number of tribunals.

[Peter Aldous]

I was one of 31 MPs from across the Chamber who signed the f40 letter to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor urging significant investment in SEN. Will my hon. Friend, behind the scenes at least, endorse that campaign and also look at how we can reduce the reliance on education, health and care plans, which are a barrier to so many young people getting the education they need?

[David Johnston]

It is probably worth saying that I am an f40 MP myself, and I met the group just last week to hear its concerns. On my hon. Friend’s point about EHCPs, through the reform plan we are working to get parents the support they need for their child at an earlier stage so that they do not always need an EHCP to get that support.