Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take steps to meet Sense's call for a £34.3 million multi-sensory impairment (MSI) education fund to ensure that children who need a trained MSI teacher have access to one.

The department is committed to ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with multi-sensory impairments, receive the support they need to succeed in their early years, at school, and at college.

High needs funding, which is specifically for supporting children with more complex SEND, including those with multi-sensory impairment, is increasing by £1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year, bringing the overall total funding for high needs to £9.1 billion. This unprecedented increase of 13%, compared to the 2021/22 financial year, comes as well as the £1.5 billion increase over the last two years.

The department has no current plans to create a new funding stream specifically for the education of children with multi-sensory impairment. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities and schools have responsibilities for supporting all children and young people with SEND, including those with multi-sensory impairments. As a result, they are best placed to decide how to prioritise their spending on the range of resources and activities that will best support their pupils.