Mr Paul Kohler

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I congratulate the many petitioners from Wimbledon and beyond, and my hon. Friend the Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) for securing this important debate. As we have heard throughout the debate, children with special educational needs are navigating a system in crisis. In Merton, the borough that covers most of my Wimbledon constituency, the pressures on the SEND system are stark and growing. Almost 2,500 children currently receive support—that is 50% above the national average. Only 24% of them attend a state-funded special school—that is below the national average—while 13%, which is more than double the national average and one of the highest rates in the entire country, are placed in expensive independent or non-maintained schools. SEND provision in Merton continues to remain problematic. One constituent told me how her son, who has ADHD, spent almost a year out of school because no suitable place could be found, despite their applying to 15 schools. Another constituent was told that the school would not even apply for an EHCP because the borough had already reached its so-called quota, although that claim has no basis in law. Despite the obstacles placed in parents’ paths, since 2018 Merton has spent more than its high needs block allocation, creating a substantial accumulated deficit. The council consequently entered the safety valve programme and received £26 million to reduce the deficit, but the high needs budget remains under strain. Let me be crystal clear: the Liberal Democrats believe that SEND reform is unavoidable. But reform must strengthen rights and deliver real capacity, as my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) will outline. After years of Conservative neglect, SEND reform is overdue, but it must be rooted in the rights and needs of children, not in short-term financial decisions.