Robin Walker MP called for an increase in special educational needs funding in a recent debate in Parliament.

The Worcester Member of Parliament advocated for additional spending of £4.6 billion, during a parliamentary discussion arranged by David Davis MP and the cross-party f40 campaign group.

Mr Walker has campaigned for a more equitable funding system for councils like Worcestershire, and forms part of the f40 group, a collection of councils which receive a lower per-student funding rate than other parts of England.

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In October 2023, along with fellow members from other f40 council areas, he wrote to the Chancellor demanding a substantial increase in High Needs funding.

He stressed that the surging demand has surpassed supply, leading to majority of councils, including Worcestershire, grappling with high needs deficits.

In the debate, Mr Walker also lobbied for the expansion of special schools in Worcester.

Fort Royal Primary School and Regency Secondary School, he claimed, required enlargement and a new specialist assessment centre for early years.

Mr Walker emphasised the issue of addressing home-to-school transport challenges, urging cooperation with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities to ensure proper funding and efficient use of these allocations.

He also sought an update on the Department for Education's plans to make direct school grant payments to schools, putting an end to the use of historical figures paid to councils, to honour the manifesto vow of a fairer funding formula.

At the debate's conclusion, Mr Walker acknowledged the steps the government has taken in response to prior campaigns, saying that high needs funding has risen by 60 per cent during this Parliament's lifespan, but underscored the need for investment in training, infrastructure, and needs-based funding for a lasting solution.

Former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, praised Mr Walker for his parliamentary leadership of the f40 group, saying that he had not only been a part of the team but had also led it.

Following the debate the motion and a revision of SEND funding was unanimously voted in favour of by the House of Commons.