Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to provide enhanced (a) financial and (b) other support to local authorities in the South East where children's services require improvement.

In the South East, there are currently no local authorities judged inadequate by Ofsted, however, the department offers a universal support package for all local authorities, including access to a dedicated departmental Regional Improvement and Support Lead, funding for Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliances, and department-funded Local Government Association leadership support.

The department provides targeted support for those local authorities that need it most, including expert improvement advisers, the sector-led improvement programme of local authority to local authority peer support, and improvement grant funding for invest-to-save initiatives.