The government has been accused of making a “bargain basement recovery plan” for schools following the resignation of catch-up tsar Sir Kevan Collins last week.

Sir Kevan quit his post after the government pledged to spend £1.4 billion on school recovery plans - less than a tenth of what he had asked for.

However, education minister Baroness Berridge told the House of Lords that more than £3 billion had been committed overall to education recovery.

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Responding to a private notice question on the issue in the Lords, she said: “We will consider the next steps ahead of the spending review and catch-up is for the lifetime of this Parliament.”

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But Labour education spokesman Lord Watson of Invergowrie said: “I can’t really believe the minister is comfortable defending the indefensible following the chaotic events surrounding the government’s, what can only be described as a bargain-basement recovery plan for school pupils.

“The promise of jam tomorrow is highly unlikely to satisfy many appetites.”