PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Education - 2 March 2026 (Commons/Written Corrections)

As I said in my statement, I recognise that the intentions behind the 2014 reforms were good intentions, but it became very clear, very quickly that problems were developing within that system. The right hon. Lady asks about council deficits and about the challenge. That became pretty clear, pretty quickly, and in 2019 the Conservatives brought in the statutory override, because it was clear that councils were struggling with the increasing demands they were facing.

[Official Report, 23 February 2026; Vol. 781, c. 56.]

Written correction submitted by the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (Bridget Phillipson):

As I said in my statement, I recognise that the intentions behind the 2014 reforms were good intentions, but it became very clear, very quickly that problems were developing within that system. The right hon. Lady asks about council deficits and about the challenge. That became pretty clear, pretty quickly, and in 2020 the Conservatives brought in the statutory override, because it was clear that councils were struggling with the increasing demands they were facing.

The right hon. Gentleman asks about early support. I completely agree with what he says, which is why we are investing £1 billion in rolling out Best Start family hubs, expanding early years education and school-based nurseries and investing in local authorities’ ability to develop early help.

[Official Report, 23 February 2026; Vol. 781, c. 58.]

Written correction submitted by the Secretary of State for Education:

The right hon. Gentleman asks about early support. I completely agree with what he says, which is why we are investing £1.5 billion in rolling out Best Start family hubs, expanding early years education and school-based nurseries and investing in local authorities’ ability to develop early help.