Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of SEND provision in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sits with local authorities.

The department supports local authorities to meet this duty by providing annual capital funding. In March 2024, local authorities were notified of £850 million of investment in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision (AP).

Local authorities can use this funding to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has received £11.6 million in capital funding through this route between 2022 and 2025. Halton Borough Council has received just under £5.5 million.

In summer 2023, the department also began collecting data from local authorities on available capacity in special schools, SEND units and resourced provision, along with corresponding forecasts of demand for these places. This data will help the department to more effectively support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide sufficient specialist places.