Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) location and (b) opening dates are of the 24 new special free schools with provision specifically for autistic children and young people described in the national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026.

The free schools programme has already delivered 74 new special free schools, and 63 are working towards opening, helping to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs have access to a high-quality school place, no matter where they live.

As part of this, the department is working with trusts and local authorities to open 24 new free schools with specialist provision for children and young people with autism as soon as possible in the following local authority areas:

Bedford, Bromley, Bury, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Kent, Kingston Upon Thames, Leeds, Newham, North Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Rochdale, Salford, Sandwell, Sheffield (two projects approved), Solihull, Stockport, Suffolk, Warrington and Wiltshire.