Our Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor James Buczkowski, has criticised the Government for failing to confront the growing crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in today’s Budget.
Devon carries one of the largest high needs deficits in the country. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has warned that these deficits are rising at an unsustainable rate, with national Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits forecast to reach £14 billion by 2028.
Following confirmation from the OBR that SEND is now the biggest destabilising force facing local government, Councillor Buczkowski said ministers had again chosen delay over action.
Councillor James Buczkowski said:
“There is still no detail on how services that support children and young people with SEND will be funded in future. Government promised an education reform White Paper in the summer. We have now been told it will be delayed again until the new year. This is not reform — it is simply pushing the problem further down the road.”
Councillor Buczkowski said the lack of clarity from central government leaves councils across the country carrying growing risk at a time of rising demand.
He added: “The OBR is now clear that local government represents a top-tier fiscal risk. SEND demand continues to rise, inflation pressures remain, and the OBR shows borrowing spiking across the sector. Yet ministers have provided nothing today beyond vague promises of further detail in December’s provisional settlement.
“Devon’s high needs deficit is approaching £160 million. This is a national policy failure — and we still have no plan from Government to address it.”
Councillor Buczkowski welcomed wider support for children and families in the Budget, including the national minimum wage increase and the removal of the two-child benefit cap, describing them as “significant steps in the right direction for many families.”
But he warned that other measures send mixed signals.
On the introduction of a new tax for electric and hybrid vehicles, he said:
“This sends the wrong message at the wrong time. Councils like Devon are working hard to cut emissions through zero-emission buses and expanded EV charging networks. Introducing a tax on cleaner vehicles risks undermining that progress.”
The Budget also signalled that local authorities will be able to introduce a visitor levy in future. Councillor Buczkowski urged caution:
“At this time, I don’t believe a tourist tax is the right approach for Devon. While I can see how the idea might support local investment in principle, our hospitality sector is still under real pressure. We need to understand exactly which businesses would be affected, and whether any revenue would be retained locally or absorbed by Government.”
He concluded:
“As ever, the devil is in the detail. Devon will continue to scrutinise the Budget closely and press for the clarity and long-term certainty our communities deserve.”