Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities with Dedicated Schools Grant deficits.

The government recognises that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of Dedicated Schools Grant deficits on their accounts.

Government will set out its ambitious plans for reform of SEND provision early in the new year to deliver a sustainable system which supports children and families effectively. The 2025 Spending Review provided investment for SEND reform. Future funding implications will be managed within the overall government DEL envelope, such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.