Backbench debate on Monday, 13 April 2026, in the House of Commons, led by Gregory Stafford. The answering members were Saqib Bhatti and Georgia Gould.

SEND Provision and Reform

Motion that this House believes that SEND is an issue that affects every constituency; acknowledges that all hon. Members represent families who face daily challenges in navigating a system that can feel complex, inconsistent and under-resourced; further believes that ensuring that every child, regardless of their needs, has access to the education, care and opportunities they deserve is not only a matter of policy but of fairness and equality; notes that despite commitments, progress on reform remains slow; further notes the time taken to publish the White Paper entitled Every Child Achieving and Thriving which was bitterly disappointing for families struggling to secure the support their children need; and agrees that it is vital that SEND remains high on the Government's agenda and that Parliament continues to hold a spotlight on the challenges faced by children, parents, schools and local authorities. Agreed to on question.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 783 cc627-665
Session: 2024-26
Department: Department for Education
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Solving the SEND crisis. Education Committee fifth report
Tuesday, 2 September 2025
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons; Solving the SEND crisis: Government response. Education Committee seventh special report
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons; Every Child Achieving and Thriving; and the 6,500 additional teachers delivery plan
Monday, 23 February 2026
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Proceeding contributions: Gregory Stafford | 783 c627 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move,
That this House believes that SEND is an issue that affects every constituen...; Jim Shannon | 783 c628 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is right to underline these issues—that is why the Chamber is quite full. I am...; Gregory Stafford | 783 c628 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting point. If we are to solve—if that is the right word—the ...; Ayoub Khan | 783 c628 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member is making persuasive arguments. As in many constituencies, support for SEND is an...; Gregory Stafford | 783 c628 (Link to this contribution)
I do not attribute any unfair or untoward motive to the Government; I think they are trying to im...; Ben Coleman | 783 c628 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Gregory Stafford | 783 c628 (Link to this contribution)
In a minute.
Across the country, over nine in 10 tribunal appeals are upheld against the lo...; Chris Vince | 783 c629 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way and for bringing this really important debate to the Ch...; Gregory Stafford | 783 c629 (Link to this contribution)
Given the time available, I will probably not take too many more interventions. On the hon. Gentl...; Peter Swallow | 783 c629 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Gregory Stafford | 783 cc629-630 (Link to this contribution)
No, I will not.
That parent’s relief exists because there is a system that ultimately guara...; Andrew George | 783 c630 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, a fellow member of the Health and Social Care Committee, for...; Gregory Stafford | 783 cc630-2 (Link to this contribution)
I do not think those two points are contradictory. One is an issue of the legislation, which is w...; 783 c632 (Link to this contribution); Judith Cummins | 783 c632 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I will impose an immediate five-minute time limit. I call the Chair of the Education Commi...; Helen Hayes | 783 c632 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) on securing this importa...; Rachel Blake | 783 c632 (Link to this contribution)
I hear from parents who have real concerns about exclusions, which have been mentioned already. P...; Helen Hayes | 783 c633 (Link to this contribution)
Accountability is one of the areas that our Committee highlighted in our report last year, which ...; Luke Charters | 783 c633 (Link to this contribution)
One of my constituents, Olivia, is battling for her son to stay in mainstream education, alongsid...; Helen Hayes | 783 cc633-4 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend speaks very well on behalf of his constituent, whose situation is replicated acros...; Stella Creasy | 783 c634 (Link to this contribution)
On that point, will my hon. Friend give way?; Helen Hayes | 783 c634 (Link to this contribution)
I am afraid I will not because of the lack of time.
Parents and carers of children with SEN...; Greg Smith | 783 c635 (Link to this contribution)
I have been contacted by a huge number of constituents raising concerns about delays to EHCPs, a ...; Iqbal Mohamed | 783 c635 (Link to this contribution)
Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, as well as the harm caused to the children who do not receive...; Greg Smith | 783 cc635-6 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It is the whole system that suffers in the circumstance that he ...; Edward Argar | 783 c636 (Link to this contribution)
When I spoke in the Select Committee debate on this matter in the Chamber, I highlighted that too...; Greg Smith | 783 cc636-7 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend hits the nail precisely on the head. It is the interests of those families t...; Ashley Dalton | 783 c637 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) on securing this really ...; Andrew George | 783 c637 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Member give way?; Ashley Dalton | 783 c637 (Link to this contribution)
I will briefly.; Andrew George | 783 c637 (Link to this contribution)
I am very grateful to the hon. Member for giving way, and congratulate her on having been a great...; Ashley Dalton | 783 cc637-8 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention and his kind words, and I agree that we cannot simpl...; Nusrat Ghani | 783 c638 (Link to this contribution)
The speaking limit is now three minutes, and it is highly unlikely that most people will get in. ...; Andrew George | 783 c639 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—in fact, I made a number of interventions in place of my speech. ...; Stella Creasy | 783 c639 (Link to this contribution)
Let me tell the hon. Member that in London people have the same concern that my hon. Friend the M...; Andrew George | 783 c639 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely agree. What worries us most is the fact that parents have to be sharp-elbowed enough...; Juliet Campbell | 783 cc639-640 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) on bringing forward this...; Charlie Dewhirst | 783 cc640-1 (Link to this contribution)
The Minister is probably sick of hearing me bang on about the local picture up in the East Riding...; Gregory Stafford | 783 c641 (Link to this contribution)
I entirely support what my hon. Friend is saying, and I think the idea that anyone on this side i...; Charlie Dewhirst | 783 c641 (Link to this contribution)
One of the problems for the children involved is that their journey is uncertain, and the system ...; Ben Coleman | 783 cc641-2 (Link to this contribution)
I speak as one who, like many of my colleagues, has received many emails and other messages, and ...; Phil Brickell | 783 c642 (Link to this contribution)
Will my hon. Friend join me in welcoming the £4.8 million of extra investment that this Governmen...; Ben Coleman | 783 c642 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point, and I am glad his local area has received that investmen...; Peter Swallow | 783 c642 (Link to this contribution)
I recently hosted an open meeting with parents on these reforms. Although there was widespread we...; Ben Coleman | 783 cc642-3 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. There has been talk about a beefed-up school complaints p...; Al Pinkerton | 783 cc643-4 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) for calling this important deba...; Will Forster | 783 c644 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend and I, along with colleagues in Surrey, have campaigned hard to change Surrey coun...; Al Pinkerton | 783 c644 (Link to this contribution)
I agree that with local government reorganisation there is an opportunity to get the processes ri...; Sarah Smith | 783 cc644-5 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) for securing this debate. As th...; John Glen | 783 c645 (Link to this contribution)
When addressing this subject, I think of the 16 years of surgeries I have had where parents have ...; Cameron Thomas | 783 c645 (Link to this contribution)
Two of my constituents, Tom and Emily—they are brother and sister—got EHCPs after tribunal fairly...; John Glen | 783 c646 (Link to this contribution)
I do, but I want to address the key point that I think we all have to acknowledge. Between 2014 a...; Cameron Thomas | 783 c646 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way once more. He is treading this compassionate tigh...; John Glen | 783 c646 (Link to this contribution)
Of course I do. This is where the problem is. If we move towards a standardised provision that is...; Jen Craft | 783 c646 (Link to this contribution)
Will the right hon. Gentleman give way on that point?; John Glen | 783 cc646-7 (Link to this contribution)
I will not have any more time, so I will not.
Let us not peddle a dishonesty by saying that...; Daniel Francis | 783 c647 (Link to this contribution)
I declare my normal interests: my wife is a special needs co-ordinator in our local authority, th...; Jim Dickson | 783 c647 (Link to this contribution)
Last week I held a roundtable on the White Paper with Dartford residents. Although they welcome t...; Daniel Francis | 783 c648 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour about those issues. We can get this right—...; 783 c648 (Link to this contribution); Nusrat Ghani | 783 c648 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Interventions do not allow other colleagues to speak. I call Chris Coghlan.
9.6 pm; Chris Coghlan | 783 cc648-9 (Link to this contribution)
I first want to address the comments from the right hon. Member for Salisbury (John Glen). I have...; Jess Brown-Fuller | 783 c649 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend mentions under-resourcing. At West Sussex county council, the department just put ...; Chris Coghlan | 783 c649 (Link to this contribution)
I entirely agree. An under-resourced officer can still determine need, still issue an EHCP and st...; John Glen | 783 c649 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is making a very moving and powerful speech, but is not the reality that if ev...; Chris Coghlan | 783 cc649-650 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the right hon. Member for his intervention and I completely disagree. Think about the aut...; Noah Law | 783 c650 (Link to this contribution)
SEND provision is a fraught and highly emotional issue, because of the stakes at play: education,...; Charlotte Cane | 783 cc650-1 (Link to this contribution)
One of the things that shocked me most when I was elected was how much we are failing children wi...; Manuela Perteghella | 783 c651 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend agree that strengthening inclusion in mainstream schools and maintaining lega...; Charlotte Cane | 783 c651 (Link to this contribution)
I agree; we must not set things up in competition.
I would like to ask the Minister three q...; Nusrat Ghani | 783 c651 (Link to this contribution)
I did not want to intervene, because I could see that the Member was going to speak very briefly,...; Alex McIntyre | 783 cc651-2 (Link to this contribution)
For too long, parents and carers in Gloucester have had to fight a broken system that was not del...; Lincoln Jopp | 783 cc652-3 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) on securing th...; Nusrat Ghani | 783 c653 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I call Jen Craft.
9.23 pm; Jen Craft | 783 cc653-4 (Link to this contribution)
I should like to declare an interest as a member of the all-party parliamentary group for special...; John Glen | 783 c654 (Link to this contribution)
If we now have a more sophisticated understanding of an individual’s need, and if the provision r...; Jen Craft | 783 c654 (Link to this contribution)
We provide for it by meeting need at the earliest opportunity. It is about addressing it before i...; Jess Brown-Fuller | 783 c654 (Link to this contribution)
Does the hon. Lady agree that there is so much untapped potential in the parents who are currentl...; Jen Craft | 783 cc654-5 (Link to this contribution)
I agree 100%. We could work out the lifetime cost of a parent being out of work to care for their...; Iqbal Mohamed | 783 cc655-6 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this profoundly important debate. I thank the hon. ...; Rachael Maskell | 783 c656 (Link to this contribution)
We know the stories, the concerns, the trauma, and the battles and fights. Of course, we know the...; 783 c656 (Link to this contribution); Nusrat Ghani | 783 cc656-7 (Link to this contribution)
Order. We have run out of time for Back-Bench contributions. I call the Liberal Democrat spokespe...; Caroline Voaden | 783 c657 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) for introducing this debate. It...; Claire Young | 783 c657 (Link to this contribution)
Will my hon. Friend give way on that point?; Caroline Voaden | 783 cc657-8 (Link to this contribution)
I am sorry, but I do not have enough time.
Schools and local authorities are already at bre...; Nusrat Ghani | 783 c658 (Link to this contribution)
I call the shadow Minister.
9.40 pm; Saqib Bhatti | 783 cc658-9 (Link to this contribution)
I thank Members from across the House for contributing to a wide-ranging and passionate debate ab...; Robbie Moore | 783 c659 (Link to this contribution)
I am inundated with correspondence from constituents from across Keighley and the wider Bradford ...; Saqib Bhatti | 783 c659 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes the same point that has been made to me by many parents about the one-size-f...; Chris Vince | 783 c659 (Link to this contribution)
On that point, will the shadow Minister give way?; Saqib Bhatti | 783 c659 (Link to this contribution)
I will.; Nusrat Ghani | 783 c659 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Mr Vince, you have just stumbled into the Chamber—I don’t think so.; Saqib Bhatti | 783 cc659-660 (Link to this contribution)
I will take your lead, Madam Deputy Speaker.
There is very little detail in the White Paper...; Iain Duncan Smith | 783 c660 (Link to this contribution)
Parents in my constituency who have been in the SEND system are really fearful that we will have ...; Saqib Bhatti | 783 cc660-1 (Link to this contribution)
I will come to councils and their funding shortly, but my right hon. Friend makes a really valid ...; Neil Shastri-Hurst | 783 c661 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to my constituency neighbour for giving way. I was in the same meeting, and one of ...; Saqib Bhatti | 783 c661 (Link to this contribution)
I could not have said it better myself. That issue was in my borough, but the truth is that there...; Georgia Gould | 783 c662 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for the huge interest across the Chamber in this critically important issue. Tonigh...; Chris Hinchliff | 783 c662 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Georgia Gould | 783 cc662-4 (Link to this contribution)
I do not have much time, so I am not going to take interventions. I want to be able to answer the...; Nusrat Ghani | 783 c664 (Link to this contribution)
There were far too many uses of “you” and “your” throughout speeches today. Members need to check...; Gregory Stafford | 783 c664 (Link to this contribution)
Madam Deputy Speaker, I am sure that you would agree that the speeches we have heard today have b...
Subjects: Disability Children Accountability Administrative delays Diagnosis Health services Finance Local government Protection Parents Public consultation Standards Reform Tribunals Schools Teachers Special educational needs Training Educational psychology
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

SEND Provision and Reform

Secondary information

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