Commenting as the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee today publish a report warning a £4bn council funding gap risks severe impact to services and council finances, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“As this report shows, the government is wildly underfunding both children’s services and SEND education. Both are putting enormous pressure on council budgets – and are leaving schools to try to pick up the pieces.

"We agree that a radical new approach is needed – namely, ensuring that education, health and SEND are all funded to be needs-led, not resource-limited.”