Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing (a) vouchers and (b) tax rebates to parents who send children to independent schools of a value less than the cost to the public purse per year of putting a pupil through a state school on (i) the cost to the public purse, (ii) class sizes in state schools, (iii) the wellbeing of state school pupils subject to bullying and (d) pupils with SEND.

This Government is committed to fair treatment for all pupils, whether they attend state or independent schools.

At Budget 2024 the Government made changes to policy on tax exemption for parents who wish to send their children to independent schools. The removal of VAT exemption for independent schools raises revenue to ensure high-quality education for every child.

The Government has increased school funding by £2.3 billion in 2026-27.

This investment will help to support our commitment to recruit 6,500 new teachers, to support our national attendance and behaviour programme, and to build a genuinely inclusive mainstream education system that will deliver positive outcomes for all pupils and parents.