Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that disabled children from all socio-economic backgrounds receive appropriate therapy.

The Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people, and will break down the barriers to opportunity and ensure that every child has the best start in life. This includes all children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Across England, community health services, including therapies, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities. We are working closely with NHS England to improve access to community health services and on actions to reduce long waits.

The Children and Families Act 2014 requires that education, health, and social care services work together to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. In May 2023, NHS England issued statutory guidance setting out the requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to have an executive lead for SEND, who will lead on supporting the Chief Executive and the board to ensure the ICB performs its functions effectively in the interests of children and young people with SEND.