Special Educational Needs budgets and spend on legal advice

I require the following information for the periods: 1st Sept to 31st August 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.
1. Your LEA’s total budget for SEND provisions 

This information is contained within the published Budget Books for each year, available on the link provided, under Children’s Services – Education and Learning – Schools Funding.

Budget information is held by financial year April 1st – March 31st rather than academic years.

2. The amount spent by your LEA on SENDIST casework. This should include any money spent preparing for, or during SEND tribunals.as above.

Year Amount 
2015 – 2016 £53,302
2016 – 2017 £64,758
2017 – 2018 £64,918

3. The amount of money allocated to internal counsel for SENDIST casework.

None. Internal legal support for SENDIST casework is covered centrally.

4. The amount of money spent on external legal advice for SENDIST casework.

Year  Amount 
2015 – 2016 £1500 plus VAT + £600 plus VAT for a course
2016 – 2017 £2100 plus VAT
2017 – 2018 £1020 plus VAT

5. Where external legal advice was used please state the name of the contracted company and how much it was paid.

The answers to Questions 4 and 5 are below:

Year  Amount 
2015 – 2016 £5950
2016 – 2017 £1820
2017 – 2018 £930

All of these sums were paid to 39 Essex Chambers in London.