To ask the Minister of Education to outline his Department's plans to ensure schools have sustainable budgets, including in cases where mergers are being sought.

The financial pressures facing schools has been acknowledged in the ‘New Decade New Approach’ agreement, which includes a commitment to address the resourcing pressures in schools, for which my Department has identified a budget pressure of £60m for 2020-21.

In cases where mergers are being sought, a school’s financial position forms part of the assessment of any school’s sustainability. Where proposals are brought forward for significant changes to the design of education provision, an assessment is carried out on how the proposal intends to address any budgetary issues (or other sustainability concerns) at the affected schools.