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Written question asked by Sarah Pochin (Reform UK) on Friday, 26 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Special Educational Needs: Speech and Language Disorders

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the availability of speech and language support for primary school pupils.

Answer

The government consultation, special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first, revealed the critical role that speech and language therapy plays in supporting children with speech, language and communication needs.

Our reforms will ensure every child gets the right support at the right time. We are investing £1.8 billion in the new Experts at Hand offer, through which education settings will be able to access support from speech and language therapists (SaLTs). These experts will work directly with staff in education settings to equip them with the skills and strategies to better meet needs.

We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13742
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Primary education Special educational needs Speech and language disorders
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk