Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Education Funding Distribution 2026-01-28

28 January 2026 · 12 other contributors

Opened by Pippa Heylings LD South Cambridgeshire

Education

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Pippa Heylings raised concerns about education funding distribution 2026-01-28 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the funding distribution for education in Cambridgeshire, highlighting the county's consistent ranking below the national average for dedicated schools grant and high needs block funding per pupil.
  • Cambridgeshire faces a dedicated schools grant deficit of 62.8 million at the end of 2025, with forecasts predicting the high needs block deficit to reach 94 million by March 2026 and potentially 200 million by April 2028.
  • The minister acknowledged the challenges faced by families in navigating special educational needs and disabilities services and the emotional toll it takes, noting government investments of 1 billion into the high needs block funding formula and an additional 3 billion in capital for special needs.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Pippa Heylings LD South Cambridgeshire

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the issue of the distribution of education funding, because it goes to the heart of what kind of education system we want. As Liberal Democrats, we want every child to be provided with the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential... Cambridgeshire remains in the bottom quartile nationally for the dedicated schools grant and for high needs block funding per pupil. We rank 133rd out of 151 local authorities in 2025-26. That ranking has been the same for more than a decade, despite the unprecedented growth in Cambridgeshire... The underfunding interacts directly with the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities provision... A stark reality keeps county councillors and their finance officers awake at night. Cambridgeshire’s overall dedicated schools grant deficit stood at £62.8 million at the end of 2025. Forecasts show that the high needs block deficit will rise to about £94 million by March 2026, and potentially to £200 million by April 2028.

Other contributors (12)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    I commend the hon. Lady on securing this debate... Does she agree that now is perhaps the time for the Minister and the Government to review how they allocate their funding? By doing so, it could bring about something positive for all schools.

  • Chris Coghlan LD Dorking and Horley

    My hon. Friend is raising incredibly important points on the distribution of funding... In theory, the Government could spend an extra £3.7 billion on early intervention on SEND at no extra net cost to the Government.

  • Vikki Slade LD Mid Dorset and North Poole

    I got some data this week that told me... Does my hon. Friend agree that as schools are having that money taken away from them to support the councils, the problem is just getting worse?

  • Jayne Kirkham Lab/Co-op Truro and Falmouth

    As a vice-chair of the f40 group... Does she agree, however, that we now have a welcome focus on SEND, that we have increased funding, and that the schools White Paper and the SEND White Paper, which will be published soon, will provide a good opportunity to look closely at the SEND system...

  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Con North Cotswolds

    Is the hon. Lady aware of a device called the statutory override... One of our private schools is closing... When it closes at the end of the summer, 170 staff will lose their jobs and 324 pupils will have to find other schools.

  • Rachael Maskell Lab/Co-op York Central

    I am grateful to the hon. Member for securing this important debate... Sadly, York falls below Cambridgeshire and Gloucestershire in the tables, and ours is the lowest-funded authority under the new fair funding formula...

  • Steve Darling LD Torbay

    I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate... Torbay unitary authority is the most deprived local authority in the south-west of England, and also the most deprived local authority that has the joy of having a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament... Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to see the SEND White Paper rolled out there fast?

  • Chris Coghlan Ind Bolton West

    The Minister must acknowledge that there are unimaginably awful testimonies from families about harmful and unethical behaviour by local authorities, including references to suicide attempts.

  • Richard Foord Lib Dem Honiton and Sidmouth

    There is a significant disparity in funding for pupils with SEND across different areas, such as £2,800 per pupil in Westminster versus less than half that amount in Devon. The new system must address this postcode lottery.

  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Con The Cotswolds

    Despite record amounts of funding for SEND, the current system is not solving problems effectively and needs a thorough overhaul.

  • Vikki Slade Lab Keighley

    There are excessive charges by companies providing special educational services, making profits at the expense of children with complex needs.

  • Name

    No extracted contribution text available for this contributor yet.

Government Response

Government Minister

The minister's COMPLETE response was not available in the given transcript. The Minister thanked Pippa Heylings and others for raising important issues. She acknowledged the challenges faced by families in navigating SEND services and the emotional toll it takes on them, including parents having to give up their careers to support their children. The Government has already invested £1 billion into the high needs block funding formula and announced an additional £3 billion in capital for specialist places. They have also prioritised teacher training and continuous professional development related to SEND. The Minister assured that further reforms will be set out, including addressing early intervention, partnerships across local authorities, schools, and health services, and ensuring every child has the right to education within their community. She emphasised the need for strong accountability systems and support structures while recognising the financial pressure on councils with significant deficits. The Government will absorb SEND pressures within the overall departmental expenditure limit budget for 2028-29, avoiding local authorities funding these costs from general funds. We cannot continue to fail children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, and we need to give the right resources to the teachers, teaching assistants and health professionals who are trying to support them every day. When we bring forward the schools White Paper, there will be a full consultation on the work we are setting out, and we have heard this evening, very powerfully, how important that work is. My commitment is to work in partnership with everyone who cares about this issue. I appreciate the opportunity to continue these conversations and to continue to talk about the work we are doing.

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