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Special Educational Needs

Asked by Steve DarlingLiberal DemocratDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 25 February 2025UIN 30724

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will pause the safety valve scheme until it's review is published.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell

Over time, 38 local authorities have been supported to manage their high needs budgets through the Safety Valve programme. We will continue to work with local authorities with Safety Valve agreements to deliver their plans, and to provide the additional funding support set out in those agreements where plans are being delivered. The department has already said that it will not enter into any more Safety Valve agreements, pending wider reform of the whole system to prioritise early intervention, properly supporting councils to bring their finances under control.

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