Sally Jameson

I cannot make a decision on that here, but I will take it back to the relevant Departments—I suspect that is a question for the Department for Education—and ask that they have another look at the hon. Member’s ten-minute rule Bill. Support is too often organised around diagnosis, rather than people’s needs and circumstances. People seeking help increasingly present with overlapping needs that do not simply fit into a single diagnosis. Better understanding of that is important. As set out in the Government press release following the independent review, we are moving to a more needs-led model, providing earlier access to information, support and appropriate intervention based on individual needs and circumstances without and before a diagnosis, while also improving timely access to high-quality diagnostic assessment when required. Moving on to the SEND reform element, which the hon. Member for Yeovil touched on, we remain committed to ensuring that every child has the best start in life with accessible and local support in their community and ending the need for families to fight for help. Since consulting on our SEND reforms, we have worked with partners across education, health and local government to build on the foundations for long-term improvement. Funding allocations and guidance that have been previously announced include £4 billion of investment to enhance inclusive provision across early years, schools, colleges and local authorities. Alongside that, there is another £3.7 billion in capital funding between 2025 and 2030, which will create 60,000 new specialist places. Through local SEND reform plans, we are ensuring every area delivers targeted local support. We will publish the consultation response in due course and will introduce legislation on this at the earliest opportunity. As announced in the King’s Speech, the education for all Bill will be introduced in this parliamentary Session to make mainstream education more inclusive and ensure all children get the right support early on. The Bill will help children and young people and is backed by more than £200 million for SEND and inclusion training. New requirements in the SEND code of practice will ensure that settings train all staff in SEND and inclusion more widely.