Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to improve support for children in Cornwall with special educational and disability needs.

The Children and Families Act 2014 provided significant support for children and young people with special educational needs, putting individuals and their families at the heart of the process. The transition period ‎between the old and new systems will end in March 2018. We have put in place inspection arrangements to support local improvement, and ensure that services work effectively to identify and meet the individual’s needs. In July 2017, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission conducted a joint inspection of the local area of Cornwall. Their report highlights many areas of good practice and a number of areas for development.

The department has provided local authorities with £252 million between 2014-15 and 2017-18 to support local authorities to embed the special educational needs and disability reforms as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014.