Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

Gideon Amos Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I agree with my hon. Friend, and we want to ensure that no parent faces parenthood alone. Being a parent is a wonderful joy, but it sometimes comes with many challenges. That is particularly true when a parent is worried that their child is struggling and not quite making the progress they would expect, so being able to access family support services close to home is absolutely critical. He is also right to draw attention to the need for better support for children with SEND. That is why we will make sure that Best Start family hubs have a dedicated professional working with families of children with additional needs.

[Gideon Amos (Taunton and Wellington) (LD)]

I welcome today’s announcement, but Joanne from my constituency of Taunton and Wellington has asked me to advocate for children with special educational needs and disabilities, given the numbers involved and the limitations on resources. This is at a time when Somerset’s auditors have blamed the predecessor council for decisions that

“led to funding shortfalls in each future year in perpetuity.”

Will the Secretary of State and the Government ensure that councils such as Somerset are properly funded so that parents and children with special educational needs do not have to wait the one or two years they currently do for assessment, which can devastate their education?

[Bridget Phillipson]

At the Budget and at the spending review, we allocated additional investment to support councils. However, I recognise what the hon. Member says about the importance of timely support in identifying need much more quickly and putting in place the support required, which is why we are investing an extra £1 billion in SEND support. We are providing councils with £740 million to support them to create more specialist places in mainstream schools to make sure we build parents’ confidence in the system and create the places needed, alongside additional investment to support the workforce to better support children with SEND.