Bobby Dean MP Backs Calls to Designate SEND Services as “Critical Infrastructure” to Stop Offshore Profiteering

Bobby Dean MP for Carshalton & Wallington, has backed new proposals to introduce legal protections preventing private equity firms and offshore investors from treating Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as a “cash cow.”

The announcement came when the Government published its SEND White Paper. 

The Liberal Democrat plan would see SEND services officially designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), a status currently reserved for essential services such as water and energy.

This change would give the Government new powers to block acquisitions that prioritise profit over the welfare and educational needs of vulnerable children.

In Carshalton and Wallington, and across the London Borough of Sutton the cost of SEND provision has come under increasing pressure, mirroring national trends. Across the UK, local authority spending on private SEND placements has soared in recent years, with some areas experiencing a tenfold rise since 2015.

Liberal Democrat MP Bobby Dean commented:

“It is appalling that while parents in Carshalton & Wallington are fighting tooth and nail for the support their children deserve, offshore investors are raking in millions in profit from our local council.”

“Private equity funds have, for years, shamelessly exploited a loophole in the system, funnelling money overseas into shareholders’ pockets and away from vital frontline care.”

“By designating SEND as critical infrastructure, we can ensure that public money stays where it is needed – supporting our most vulnerable children rather than lining the pockets of sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi or private firms in Europe.”