Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of children and young people with education, health and care plans who did not have an appropriate education placement available at the beginning of the academic year in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) local authority, (b) length of time without a placement, (c) whether interim education was provided, (d) average weekly hours of interim education and (e) whether the child subsequently received education otherwise than at school; and if she will publish that data, including for West Sussex.

Once a local authority issues an education, health and care (EHC) plan naming a setting of a type specified in section 43 of the Children and Families Act 2014 (such as a state school), that setting must admit the child or young person.

The department has consulted on proposals to strengthen the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system so all children and young people with SEND have their needs met through high-quality support. We want children and young people to be able to learn at an education setting close to their home, alongside their peers. We are carefully reviewing all responses submitted to the consultation, which closed in May, alongside feedback from over 200 engagement events we held. We will set out our response in due course. The department has also launched a consultation on 10 July seeking views on how the government can better support children and young people receiving education otherwise than at school, to ensure they receive the right support for their wellbeing and long term outcomes.

The department does not collect data on children or young people with an EHC plan who are awaiting a placement in the setting named on their plan.