Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) timeliness of the delivery of EHCPs.

The department recognises that some parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes. We know that even after fighting to secure a plan, support is not always necessarily guaranteed or delivered quickly enough.

The department wants to ensure that needs assessments are progressed promptly, and high-quality plans are issued quickly. This will provide children and young people with the support they need, when they need it.

Our priority is improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so that they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education.

Details of our intended approach to strengthening the SEND system will be set out in a schools white paper, which will be followed by a public consultation.