Surrey MP Questions PM on SEND Funding

Published on: 14 Nov, 2024
Updated on: 15 Nov, 2024

Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding asking about SEND funding during PMQs. Among her nearby party colleagues (behind Ms Harding) are Guildford’s MP Zoe Franklin and next to her Woking’s MP, Will Forster. Image Parliament TV

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

The £1 billion in new special education funding is “not nearly enough” to “end the scandal” impacting thousands of children forced to miss school due to inappropriate SEND provision, a Surrey MP said.

Countywide there are 1,800 SEND children affected by the crisis – prompting Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding (Lib Dem) to call on the Government to properly fund the service during a recent Prime Minister’s Questions session.

Her challenge was met with an additional billion pounds, as part of a £2.3 billion overall investment in education.

Although she welcomed the move, Mrs Harding says it only scratches the surface of the £4 billion hole the service faces; where families are forced to wait years to get education plans, or to see child psychologists.

Records show that Surrey County Council has had to pay out more than half a million pounds in fines and payments last year to families it failed – in part due to national shortages and funding crunches.

Speaking in Parliament, Mrs Harding said: “Charlie from my constituency of Esher and Walton is eight years old with an autism diagnosis who has been out of school for almost a year.

“He is one of 1,800 children in Surrey missing school because of the lack of appropriate special educational needs provision.

“Will the Government commit to ending this scandal by properly funding special educational needs provision in next week’s budget so that children like Charlie in my constituency of Esher and Walton and beyond are no longer let down?”

She was told the Chancellor had heard her and to look out for the budget – where the Government announced £1 billion for high needs in recognition of the “ immense need in the sector” as part of wider plans to “develop plans to transform England’s Special Education Needs and Disabilities system and improve outcomes for young people.”

Responding, Mrs Harding welcomed the extra money but said more needs to be done to tackle the crisis.

She said: “Far too many children in our community are being failed by the lack of access to proper SEND provision, with plans of insufficient quality and children’s needs unmet.

“There are 1,800 children missing school in Surrey because they can’t access provision. Families, schools and local authorities are at breaking point.

“We need proper long-term reform of the SEND system to put council finances on a sustainable path.

“We also need to see significantly more money invested by the Government on SEND in the next financial year.

“And we need more accountability in Surrey to find out what is going wrong for parents and children who are going on the tortuous route to SEND support.”