To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the level of (a) investment; and (b) co-operation, that has been committed in the current school year to the Special Educational Needs Reform Agenda, particularly in relation to the development of multi-agency support for schools; and (ii) the provision of input from allied health professionals for pupils with speech, language and communication needs in mainstream schools.

Just under £4m investment has been profiled this year from the £27.5m secured from the Interim Public Sector Transformation Fund for the 13 early priority actions as detailed in the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reform Agenda’s associated five-year Delivery Plan.

My department is working closely with a wide range of stakeholders across the entire education system and continued co-operation is vital as those early priority actions progress to operationalisation. Input from a range of agencies, including health professionals, is vital in developing some elements of these actions, especially in the establishment and delivery of the early childhood intervention programmes.

There has been no specific input from Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) for pupils with speech, language and communication needs in mainstream schools outside of those actions noted above relating to the SEN Reform Agenda.