Oral Question·Department for Education
“What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of powers to intervene where local authorities are not meeting statutory SEND duties.”
Tabled: 13 January 2026Answered: 19 January 2026
Asked by
Chris Bloore
Labour — Redditch
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Education
Answer from Hansard
The Minister for School Standards (Georgia Gould)
Where a council does not meet its special educational needs and disabilities duties, the Department will take action to prioritise children’s needs and support rapid improvement. The support and challenge offered are based on what works in SEND learnings and expertise from independent chairs, SEND advisers and SEND commissioners. The effectiveness of actions taken will be assessed by Ofsted monitoring inspections and robust monitoring by the Department.