Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for the testing of special educational needs.

The department published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in March 2023, in which plans to reform the Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan system were set out.

As part of these reforms, the department intends to improve the EHC plan process. This includes establishing a single EHC plan form and supporting processes across England, including a national requirement for the use of digital technology to improve consistency and access to information.

We want to ensure that EHC plans, where required, are issued as quickly as possible, so that the child or young person can access the support they need.

In 2022, there were 114,457 requests for EHC plans, and 66,356 new EHC plans were issued. This is the highest number since they were introduced. It is not necessary to have a formal diagnosis of a particular condition for an EHC needs assessment to be conducted.