Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the proportion of the UK's national income spent on education.

The government recognises the importance of education and is committed to transforming the education system so that young people get the opportunity they deserve.

At the Spending Audit in July, DfE received an additional £2.1 billion in 2024-25, including to fully fund the 5.5% teacher pay award, at a national level, as recommended by the independent pay review body. At the Spending Review on 30 October, DfE received a settlement providing total DEL funding of £99.7 billion in 2025-26. This is equivalent to an annual average real-terms growth rate of 3.4% from 2023-24 to 2025-26.

To raise school standards for every child, the core schools budget will increase by an additional £2.3 billion next year, increasing per pupil funding in real terms.