Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Nadhim Zahawi

Monday 24th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

T6. Hounslow schools and families welcomed the reforms for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the Children and Families Act 2014, but as a result of those reforms, as well as the increase in the number of children in our schools, the number of children in the borough with education, health and care plans has doubled. The funding to ensure that children get the most from our excellent education services is not adequate, and there will be a £6 million shortfall in the high needs block next year. Will the Minister meet me, along with my hon. Friend the Member for Feltham and Heston (Seema Malhotra) and Hounslow headteachers, to discuss the implications of the funding gap?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Nadhim Zahawi)]

I will happily meet the hon. Lady and, of course, her colleague, but I remind her that SEND funding has risen to £6.3 billion. We recognised the pressures on the system, which is why we announced £250 million of additional funding.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Nadhim Zahawi

Monday 14th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

How does the Secretary of State expect local authorities to retain special services for vulnerable children, let alone share them, when they have faced—on average— 40% cuts in total funding in the last eight years?

[Nadhim Zahawi]

We have made £200 billion available to local authorities in the spending review, and high-needs funding has actually risen from £5 billion in 2013 to £6 billion this year.