Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5246 on Special Educational Needs: County Durham, if he will make it his policy to conduct an investigation into why the rate of Education, Health and Care plans excluding exceptions issued within 20 weeks in County Durham reduced from 76.2% in 2021 to 29.2% in 2022.

Through the work of the department’s Regions Group, the department is working closely with Durham County Council to understand the reasons why the rate of Education, Health and Care plans excluding exceptions issued within 20 weeks has reduced. The department will work with the local area to monitor the issuing of completed plans and support them in to improving this rate.