Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions has he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the level of high needs block funding in the next two years.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State frequently meets Treasury Ministers, including my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss matters of shared interest.

High needs funding is a priority for the Government. Last year, the Department provided £130 million in additional funding for high needs, and a further £142 million this year. Nationally, high needs funding has risen from a total of £5 billion in 2013-14 to £6 billion in 2018-19.

The Department is monitoring the impact of the national funding formula for high needs on local authority spending decisions, and is keeping the overall amount of funding for high needs under review.