Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that funding is made available as quickly as possible for pupils accepted by independent schools approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
The conditions of grant attached to the dedicated schools grant for local authorities requires authorities to treat those placed in maintained, non-maintained and independent provision on a fair and equivalent basis when making arrangements for the funding of young people with high needs. Under the conditions of grant, local authorities must also make payments of high needs funding in a timely fashion, on a basis agreed with the institution. Further information can be found in paragraph 12 of the DSG conditions of grant 2017-18, which is attached and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579306/DSG_Conditions_of_Grant_2017-18_-_Final_GH.pdf.