Department for Education: Public Expenditure
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which programmes have been cancelled or delayed in order to fund the Department's contributions to the Defence Investment Plan.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
Around 1% of the department’s capital budget has been contributed each year between 2026/27 to 2029/30 to support the Defence Investment Plan. This contribution has now been reflected in the department's capital settlement, and we will continue to manage budgets through standard business planning and prioritisation processes.
Our core capital priorities remain unchanged, including rebuilding over 750 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme, investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance for schools and colleges, and £3.7 billion towards special educational needs provision in the Spending Review period. Furthermore, our commitment to permanently removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools and colleges remain unchanged. By 2029, every school and college in England that is not being fully or substantially rebuilt will be RAAC free, and every school needing to be rebuilt through the School Rebuilding Programme will be in delivery.
The department’s contribution to funding the Defence Investment Plan through the c.1% top slice in capital budgets is set out below:
Financial Year | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 |
Department Contribution | £82 million | £76 million | £76 million | £76 million |
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