Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of the SEND review, what oversight his Department will have of local inclusion plans, including how they are assessed and monitored.

The green paper sets out proposals for the department’s new regions group to take responsibility for holding local authorities and Multi-Academy Trusts to account for delivery for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) locally through new funding agreements between local government and the department

The department will support local authorities in the development and review of local inclusion plans to ensure that they are built on strong evidence, are forward-looking, have considered emerging trends and are coproduced with parents to inform effective local delivery. This extra layer of quality assurance will promote best practice and strengthen oversight of local authorities.

To ensure the conditions set out in the funding agreements are met, the department will monitor ongoing delivery against local inclusion plans and where delivery is not in line with the national standards, the department will take action.