Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they hold on the number of schools in England and Wales which are currently in financial deficit.

We trust schools to manage their own budgets and the vast majority are operating with a cumulative surplus, with only a small percentage having a deficit. The latest published overall figures for England’s schools show 2,819 academy trusts (94.5%) and 14,645 local authority maintained schools (91%) reporting a cumulative surplus or breaking even, against 165 academy trusts and 1,461 maintained schools reporting a deficit. The percentage of maintained schools in deficit has remained stable compared to 2010, as has the total balance held by maintained schools, at £1.7 billion.

We are providing an additional £1.3 billion to our schools across 2018-19 and 2019-20, over and above previous plans. Core funding for schools and high needs will rise from almost £41 billion in 2017-18 to £42.4 billion this year and £43.5 billion in 2019-20. This will maintain school and high needs funding in real terms per pupil over the next two years.

Information on the number of schools in deficit in Wales is a devolved matter, and therefore for the Welsh government to answer.