Ann Coffey Portrait

Ann Coffey

The Independent Group for Change - Former Member for Stockport

First elected: 9th April 1992


Draft House of Lords Reform Bill (Joint Committee)
23rd Jun 2011 - 26th Mar 2012
Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate)
13th Jul 2009 - 6th May 2010
Shadow Spokesperson (Health)
1st Jun 1996 - 1st Jun 1997
Shadow Spokesperson (Health)
1st Jan 1996 - 1st Jan 1997
Opposition Whip (Commons)
1st Jan 1995 - 1st Jan 1996
Trade & Industry
9th Feb 1993 - 27th Nov 1995


Division Voting information

Ann Coffey has voted in 2246 divisions, and 15 times against the majority of their Party.

12 Feb 2019 - Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Labour Aye votes vs 225 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 299 Noes - 241
30 Jan 2019 - Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 6 Labour Aye votes vs 206 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 310 Noes - 257
8 Feb 2017 - European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 52 Labour No votes vs 161 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 494 Noes - 122
1 Feb 2017 - European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 47 Labour No votes vs 166 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 498 Noes - 114
7 Dec 2016 - The Government's Plan for Brexit - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 23 Labour No votes vs 150 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 461 Noes - 89
2 Dec 2015 - ISIL in Syria - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 56 Labour No votes vs 139 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 211 Noes - 390
2 Dec 2015 - ISIL in Syria - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 65 Labour Aye votes vs 153 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 397 Noes - 223
11 Sep 2015 - Assisted Dying (No. 2) Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 73 Labour Aye votes vs 91 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 118 Noes - 330
27 Oct 2014 - Recall of MPs Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 41 Labour Aye votes vs 162 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 166 Noes - 340
23 Oct 2013 - Air Passenger Duty - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Labour No votes vs 2 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 0 Noes - 0
2 Mar 2009 - Political Parties and Elections Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 93 Labour No votes vs 155 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 235 Noes - 176
2 Mar 2009 - Political Parties and Elections Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 83 Labour No votes vs 157 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 223 Noes - 158
2 Mar 2009 - Political Parties and Elections Bill - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 77 Labour No votes vs 156 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 213 Noes - 153
7 Mar 2007 - House of Lords Reform - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 152 Labour No votes vs 162 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 416 Noes - 163
7 Mar 2007 - House of Lords Reform - View Vote Context
Ann Coffey voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 111 Labour Aye votes vs 197 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 196 Noes - 375
View All Ann Coffey Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Theresa May (Conservative)
(22 debate interactions)
Damian Green (Conservative)
(15 debate interactions)
Michael Gove (Conservative)
Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
(14 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Education
(71 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(42 debate contributions)
Home Office
(37 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(20 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Ann Coffey's debates

Stockport Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

The Brexit process has been a failure. At the end of two years, our ruling party is bitterly divided, the main opposition not a viable replacement for it, and the deal we have negotiated is almost universally opposed.
No one voted for this to happen.

The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen - so vote now.

The UK voted in a referendum in 2016 to Leave the EU....this wasn't dependent on a " deal" ....but rather just "Leave"
we are now demanding that all mp's honour this result .conservative and labour mp's also agreed to leave on 29/03/19...... deal or no deal as part of their gen election campaign


Latest EDMs signed by Ann Coffey

23rd April 2019
Ann Coffey signed this EDM on Tuesday 1st October 2019

PROVIDING FINANCIAL RESTITUTION TO 1950s WOMEN

Tabled by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
That this House welcomes the positive interventions from many hon. Members from across the House on behalf of women born in the 1950s who have lost their pensions; welcomes the equalisation of retirement ages between women and men; recalls that women born in the 1950s were subject to discriminatory employment …
225 signatures
(Most recent: 8 Oct 2019)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 131
Conservative: 25
Scottish National Party: 22
Liberal Democrat: 15
Independent: 13
Democratic Unionist Party: 10
Plaid Cymru: 3
Non-affiliated: 3
Crossbench: 2
The Independent Group for Change: 2
Green Party: 1
8th May 2019
Ann Coffey signed this EDM on Tuesday 6th August 2019

STATE-FUNDED LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORISM

Tabled by: Stephen Lloyd (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
That this House expresses concern that victims of terrorist atrocities are not automatically eligible for legal aid; regrets that a recently published government review rejected introducing automatic non-means-tested legal aid funding to bereaved families after a state-related death; notes that state organisations involved in deaths from terrorist attacks have access …
81 signatures
(Most recent: 9 Sep 2019)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 40
Conservative: 10
Liberal Democrat: 8
Independent: 8
Scottish National Party: 7
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Plaid Cymru: 2
The Independent Group for Change: 2
Non-affiliated: 1
Crossbench: 1
Green Party: 1
View All Ann Coffey's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Ann Coffey, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Ann Coffey has not been granted any Urgent Questions

3 Adjournment Debates led by Ann Coffey

Thursday 11th July 2013
Thursday 13th December 2012

1 Bill introduced by Ann Coffey


A Bill to amend the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to provide that a person who dies while deprived of their liberty under Schedule A1 to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 shall not be considered to have died while in custody or otherwise in state detention for the purposes of section 1 of the 2009 Act; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Tuesday 10th November 2015

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1 Other Department Questions
24th Jun 2015
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2015 to the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds, what the (a) objectives, (b) remit, (c) membership, (d) start date and (e) report date are of the task force chosen by the Secretary of State for Education; and whether he plans to publish the conclusions of that taskforce.

I refer the hon. Member to the press release issued by my office on 24 June 2015, which can be accessed via the gov.uk website.

2nd Jul 2019
To ask the Attorney General, how he will ensure that the Criminal Justice Board review of how rape and sexual violence cases are handled across the criminal justice system provides independent scrutiny of CPS case handling.

Rape and serious sexual offences are horrific crimes, which can have a significant and profound impact on victims.

I recognise that there is real current concern around the criminal justice response to rape and serious sexual offences. The Government’s Review provides an opportunity to identify areas, from the beginning to the end of the criminal justice process, where the police, CPS and HM Courts and Tribunals Service can improve practice and outcomes in cases involving these offences. The CPS will work with partners across the criminal justice system to address any issues that are highlighted as a result of the Review.

All those involved in the Review, including the AGO and the CPS, are committed to ensuring that the Review is conducted with the requisite degree of openness and independence as to enable the public to have full confidence in its final findings.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
25th Jan 2018
To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions under the Modern Slavery Act in 2017 were for cases involving victims under 18.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced, including offences charged by way of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 on its Case Management Information System. These data may be further disaggregated by the child abuse case monitoring flag. The CPS definition of child abuse covers any case where the victim was under 18 years of age at the time of the offence and allegations or crimes perpetrated by both adults and under 18s.

During the most recently available year, the number of Modern Slavery Act offences flagged as child abuse, is as follows:

-

2016-2017

-

Child Abuse Flagged Offences

Total Offences

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1(1)(a) and 5(1) }

0

13

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1(1)(b) and 5(1) }

0

10

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 2(1) and 5(1) }

21

73

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 4 and 5(2) }

0

1

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 4 and 5(3) }

0

1

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that defendants will be prosecuted for more than one offence in the same set of proceedings.

12th Jul 2016
To ask the Attorney General, how many people were charged in 2015 under (a) section 57 and (b) section 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice, as I am the minister that superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who is responsible for bringing charges.

The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with offences brought by way of Section 1 or Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; or Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004; or Sections 57 and 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (Sections 57, 58 and 59 were repealed and replaced by section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 13 April 2013) This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

However, although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the human trafficking offences during each of the last three calendar years. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

2013

2014

2015

Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 { 4 }

20

73

48

Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71 }

36

26

34

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1 }

0

0

5

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 57 }

22

35

69

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 58 }

84

35

75

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59 }

4

4

9

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59A }

1

17

94

Total Human Trafficking Offences Charged

167

190

334

Data Source: CPS Management Information System

No offences have yet been recorded under section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which came into force on 31st July 2015.

12th Jul 2016
To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged under (a) section 1 and (b) section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 since those provisions came into force on 31 July 2015.

I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice, as I am the minister that superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who is responsible for bringing charges.

The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with offences brought by way of Section 1 or Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; or Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004; or Sections 57 and 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (Sections 57, 58 and 59 were repealed and replaced by section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 13 April 2013) This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

However, although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the human trafficking offences during each of the last three calendar years. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

2013

2014

2015

Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 { 4 }

20

73

48

Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71 }

36

26

34

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1 }

0

0

5

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 57 }

22

35

69

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 58 }

84

35

75

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59 }

4

4

9

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59A }

1

17

94

Total Human Trafficking Offences Charged

167

190

334

Data Source: CPS Management Information System

No offences have yet been recorded under section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which came into force on 31st July 2015.

12th Jul 2016
To ask the Attorney General, how many people were charged under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 in 2015.

I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice, as I am the minister that superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who is responsible for bringing charges.

The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with offences brought by way of Section 1 or Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; or Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004; or Sections 57 and 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (Sections 57, 58 and 59 were repealed and replaced by section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 13 April 2013) This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

However, although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the human trafficking offences during each of the last three calendar years. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

2013

2014

2015

Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 { 4 }

20

73

48

Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71 }

36

26

34

Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1 }

0

0

5

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 57 }

22

35

69

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 58 }

84

35

75

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59 }

4

4

9

Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59A }

1

17

94

Total Human Trafficking Offences Charged

167

190

334

Data Source: CPS Management Information System

No offences have yet been recorded under section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which came into force on 31st July 2015.

12th Apr 2016
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many offences with code (a) 17B, (b) 19D, (c) 19E, (d) 19H, (e) 20B, (f) 2, (g) 22B, (h) 74 and (i) 88A under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 were recorded by police each year since 2008.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

14th Sep 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had on measures to deal with catfishing in the Internet Safety Strategy.

Catfishing is one of the online harms which we are considering as part of our Internet Safety Strategy. The Strategy is due to be published shortly and we will consider ways in which we can ensure Britain is the safest place in the world to be online.

29th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the proportion of looked-after children in children’s homes who have gone missing from children’s homes (a) in borough and (b) out of borough in each year since 2012.

The number and percentage of looked-after children in children’s homes who were reported missing by placement location since 2015 is shown in the attached table.

The latest figures on looked-after children who were missing are published in Table G1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

All figures on the overall number of children who were looked after during the year and were missing, are still classified as experimental statistics. The figures were collected for the first time in 2015 and should be treated with caution. As these statistics are experimental, the figures are not comparable across years.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
24th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children were in children's homes (a) in borough and (b) out of borough during the year for each year since 2015.

The latest figures on looked-after children by placement and placement location are published in Table A2 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

The statistics on looked-after children in 2018/2019 will be released in December 2019. The exact date of publication will be announced here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/looked-after-children-in-england-year-ending-31-march-2019.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
21st Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked after children in children's homes in each year since 2015.

The number of looked after children by placement since 2015 are published in Table A2 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption’, available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
24th Jul 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the United Nations General Assembly of 17 December 2018 on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement.

The government remains fully committed to protecting the Rights of the Child and to give due consideration to the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making policy and legislation. This was most recently re-iterated in a written ministerial statement for Universal Children’s Day on 20 November 2018 (HCWS1093), which can be accessed here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-11-20/HCWS1093/. In support of this, all civil servants have access to online children’s rights training and to a template for conducting a Childs Rights Impact Assessment.

The UK will submit its next periodic report to the United Nations (UN) by 14 January 2022, reporting on ongoing government measures to implement the UNCRC in the UK.

The UN General Assembly had a particular focus on gender equality in relation to the Rights of the Child and urged states to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls, particularly regarding access to and participation in education. ‘Gender equality at every stage: a roadmap for change’, published 3 July 2019 by the former Minister for Women and Equalities (Penny Mordaunt), my right hon. Friend for Portsmouth North, sets out the government's plans to address the persistent gendered barriers people face at every stage of life. The roadmap highlights plans to invest in programmes to increase participation, particularly by girls, in science, technology, engineering and maths education, to publish research and implement tools to tackle poor body image and examines how to engage boys and men on gender issues.

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the UNCRC and the government is actively engaging with the UN to mark this important occasion and reflect on the work that we do to protect the rights of children in the UK and around the world.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
5th Jul 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked-after children who were taken into care as a result of their mother receiving a custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not held centrally.

24th Jun 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March to Question 229651 on Children in care, how many looked-after children placed in children's homes inside and outside the borough were reported missing in each local authority in each year since 2015.

The number of looked-after children in children’s homes who went missing or away without authorisation by placement location since 2015 for each local authority is shown in the attached table. The figures are presented in this combined way to reflect the fact that some authorities have informed the department that they do not record any incidents as 'away without authorisation' but instead report all incidents as 'missing' information.

The latest figures on children looked after who go missing are published in Table G1 of the statistical release, ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’, which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

All figures on the overall number of children who were looked after during the year, who were missing or away from placement without authorisation, are still classified as experimental statistics. This is the fourth year these statistics have been collected in this way, and local authorities have reported some variation over recent years in how these incidents are recorded.

As experimental statistics, figures are not comparable across years. Local authority comparisons should be treated with the same degree of caution and firm conclusions cannot be drawn about local practice. We will continue to assess whether the figures are considered robust enough to be classed as national statistics, rather than experimental.

24th Jun 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2019 to Question 265439 on Children in care, how many looked-after children have been placed in children’s homes (a) in borough and (b) out of borough at a distance (i) greater than 20 miles and (ii) fewer than 20 miles by each local authority in each year since 2015.

The number of looked-after children in children’s homes by placement location since 2015 for each local authority is shown in the attached table. The latest national figures on children looked after by distance between home and placement and locality of placement are published in Table A4 of the statistical release, ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.


17th Jun 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children have been placed in children’s homes (a) in borough and (b) out of borough by each local authority in each year since 2015.

The number of looked after children in children’s homes by placement location since 2015 for each local authority is shown in the attached table. The latest figures on children looked after by placement and placement location are published in Table A2 of the statistical release, ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

7th Mar 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside the local authority responsible and (b) outside the local authority responsible were reported missing in each year since 2015.

The department publishes information on looked after children who go missing from care in Tables G1 and LAG1 statistical release, available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

A further breakdown of data regarding looked-after children who go missing in children’s homes is available in the attached tables. The data in the attached tables are experimental statistics and are not comparable between years as changes may be due to improved data recording. Local councils have improved their reporting of missing incidents through increased collaboration with partner organisations and carers, updated recording systems, and further training for carers to improve understanding of reporting processes.

7th Mar 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked after children in children’s homes inside and outside the borough who were reported missing by a) duration of missing incident and (b) age of child at the start of missing incident and (c) went missing more than once during the year for each year since 2015.

The department publishes information on looked after children who go missing from care in Tables G1 and LAG1 statistical release, available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

A further breakdown of data regarding looked-after children who go missing in children’s homes is available in the attached tables. The data in the attached tables are experimental statistics and are not comparable between years as changes may be due to improved data recording. Local councils have improved their reporting of missing incidents through increased collaboration with partner organisations and carers, updated recording systems, and further training for carers to improve understanding of reporting processes.

7th Feb 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside the local authority responsible, (b) outside the local authority responsible and (c) nationally (i) were reported missing by (A) duration of missing incident and (B) age of child at the start of missing incident and (ii) went missing more than once during the year for each of the last five years for which data is available.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The latest information on children looked-after is published in the statistical release ‘Children looked-after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

7th Feb 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside the local authority responsible, (b) outside the local authority responsible and (c) in each local authority area (i) were reported missing by (A) duration of missing incident, (B) age of child at the start of missing incident and (ii) went missing more than once during the year, for each of the last five years for which data is available.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The latest information on children looked-after is published in the statistical release ‘Children looked-after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

7th Feb 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children in (a) foster placements and (b) children’s homes were placed (i) inside and (ii) outside of the local authority responsible; and for those children placed outside of the local authority responsible what the average distance the placement was from the placing authority in each local authority area for each year since 2012.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The latest information on children looked-after is published in the statistical release ‘Children looked-after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

30th Jan 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant the Answer of 14 October 2017 to Question 106132 on Children in Care, what progress his Department has made on the assessment of data on the use of out of area placements.

The department continues to collect, review and publish data on local authorities’ use of out-of-area placements. From our latest publication, 19% of all children in care were in a placement more than 20 miles from their home at 31 March 2018.

The department is currently supporting a number of projects aimed at increasing capacity locally. Through our children’s social care Innovation Programme, we are providing £5 million of funding to 3 projects in London and the South East that will increase the capacity of residential and fostering placements in the area. We are providing 3 local authorities with seed-funding to explore the possibility of setting up new secure provision, where our data shows that out of area placements are particularly common. Later this year we will also be offering all local authorities the opportunity to bid for seed funding to develop new approaches to increasing the sufficiency of foster parents.

30th Jan 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2018 to Question 130996, what progress has been made in appointing board members to the Residential Care Leadership Board.

We have delayed recruiting board members to the Residential Care Leadership Board until it is agreed how the remit of the board will fit into the newly created National Stability Forum. The appointed Chair has continued to seek views from experts across the sector to enable the Department for Education to move forward with the agreed programme of work.

3rd Dec 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside and (b) outside the borough of the authority responsible for their care were reported missing in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Information on the number of missing and away without authorisation incidents of looked after children in children’s homes by the location of the placement is shown in the attached table. The location reflects whether the child’s placement is inside or outside the boundary of the authority responsible for care.

This information was collected for the first time in 2014-15 and so figures for 2013-14 are not held centrally.

These statistics are experimental statistics based on data collected for the first time in 2015 and should be treated with caution. The figures are therefore not comparable between years and any assessment of trends should take this into account. The information provided does not mean that the number of children going missing or away without authorisation is changing in the volumes indicated in the table.

18th Apr 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 April 2018 to Question 134364, on runaway children, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside and (b) outside the borough of the authority responsible for their care were reported missing.

Information on the number of missing incidents of looked after children in children’s homes by the location of the placement is shown in the attached table.

These statistics are experimental statistics based on data collected for the first time in 2015 and should be treated with caution as local councils’ recording of this information is improving over time. The figures are therefore not comparable between years and any assessment of trends should take this into account. The information provided does not mean that the number of children going missing is increasing in the volumes indicated in the table.

Local councils have improved their reporting of missing incidents through increased collaboration with partner organisations and carers, updated recording systems, and further training for carers to improve understanding of reporting processes.

27th Mar 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked after children who were reported missing from their placement by (a) placement type, (b) placement provider, (c) distance from placing authority in the last 5 years for which figures are available.

Information on the number of missing incidents of looked after children in each of the last three years by their placement type has been published in Table G1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.

Information on the number of missing incidents of looked after children by provider and the distance from the placing authority are provided in the attached table. In 2016/17, missing incidents were reported for 10,700 children, some of whom will have multiple missing incidents.

This information was collected for the first time in 2014-15 and so figures for earlier years are not available.

These statistics are experimental statistics based on data collected for the first time in 2015 and should be treated with caution as local councils’ recording of this information is improving over time. The figures are therefore not comparable between years and any assessment of trends should take this into account. The information provided does not mean that the number of children going missing is increasing in the volumes indicated in the table.

Local councils have improved their reporting of missing incidents through increased collaboration with partner organisations and carers, updated recording systems, and further training for carers to improve understanding of reporting processes.

5th Mar 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the membership is of the Residential Care Leadership Board.

Sir Alan Wood was appointed as chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board on the 7 November 2017. Sir Alan Wood is a public appointee and his selection followed a competitive recruitment process. Further appointments of unsalaried board members will be made in due course by the department, in consultation with the chair.

In order to make sure that the board’s efforts are focused on the areas that will have the most impact, Sir Alan Wood is undertaking a programme of engagement with the sector to understand the key issues. This will enable us to determine the right membership to take forward the work programme.

23rd Jan 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 statistics published in September 2017, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the number of looked-after children who were removed from their placement at the request of their carer due to their behaviour rose from 940 to 1,370 between March 2016 and March 2017.

Information on the reasons looked after children were removed from their placements is published as experimental statistics in the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption’. This information was collected for the first time in 2016 and so comparisons between years should be treated with caution.

The information shows that in 2016, 940 placements in secure units, children’s homes and semi-independent living accommodation were identified as changing because the carer requested the change due to the child’s behaviour. In 2017, this figure was 1,370 but in the same year we saw a drop in placements of that type which ended due to “other” reasons. Feedback from local authorities has identified improved recording of the reasons for placement changes so that more placements are coded under their correct reason rather than “other”. The evidence does not necessarily point to a real increase in the number of placements ending either at the request of the carer due to the child’s behaviour or at the request of the child.

23rd Jan 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 statistics published in September 2017, what assessment he has made of reasons for the increase in the number of looked after children placed in care homes, secure units and hostels who were removed from their placement at the request of the child between March 2016 to March 2017.

Information on the reasons looked after children were removed from their placements is published as experimental statistics in the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption’. This information was collected for the first time in 2016 and so comparisons between years should be treated with caution.

The information shows that in 2016, 940 placements in secure units, children’s homes and semi-independent living accommodation were identified as changing because the carer requested the change due to the child’s behaviour. In 2017, this figure was 1,370 but in the same year we saw a drop in placements of that type which ended due to “other” reasons. Feedback from local authorities has identified improved recording of the reasons for placement changes so that more placements are coded under their correct reason rather than “other”. The evidence does not necessarily point to a real increase in the number of placements ending either at the request of the carer due to the child’s behaviour or at the request of the child.

14th Nov 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Greater Manchester Combined Authority's bid for funding from the Children's Social Care Innovation Programme.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has submitted a request to the department for innovation funding, separate to the Innovation Programme bidding process. Their proposals are part of discussions linked to their Devolution Deal and the commitment they made to a full review of their children’s services across the ten local authorities. Minsters will make a decision based on the potential for improved outcomes for children, value for money, and genuine innovation. GMCA will be informed of the minister’s decision in due course.

6th Oct 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 6504, what assessment she has made of the reasons why the number of looked after children placed in care homes, secure units and hostels outside their council boundary in England increased from 2,610 in March 2012 to 4,020 in March 2016.

The government is clear that the needs of the child are vital when making decisions about the right care placement. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consider the right placement for the child and take into account a number of factors, one of which is placement area.

Sometimes circumstances make it the right decision for a local authority to identify a placement outside of the child’s local area. For example, when a child is at risk from child sexual exploitation, trafficking or gang violence or when they need very specialist care. Out of area placements require approval from the Director of Children’s Services, and Ofsted monitors all placement decisions including out of area placements and challenges local authorities that need to improve. We are setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board, which will bring together representatives from local authorities and providers to explore how to improve commissioning of children’s residential placements. As part of this work, we expect the Board to assess data on the use of out of area placements.

6th Oct 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 6504, what assessment she has made of the reasons why 50 per cent of looked after children who are reported missing are children placed in residential accommodation.

Annual data recorded to 31 March 2017 showed that 50% of missing incidents were by children placed across a range of residential accommodation, including secure units, children’s homes or semi-independent living accommodation.

Local authorities are improving data collections to include all incidents of missing and so the numbers recorded are increasing (although the data is still categorised as experimental). We will continue to assess data quality.

Many residential settings do important work to provide placements and support for children with complex histories of going missing. In 2015, the government introduced Quality Standards to improve the care in homes and strengthened regulations. We have also placed a duty on local authorities to report all incidences of children going missing from care. Children’s homes must have policies to stop children going missing; and when children do go missing, they must respond in line with local police protocols.

The government considers this an important issue. The Missing Children and Adults strategy, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/missing-children-and-adults-strategy which focuses primarily on vulnerable people who go missing within England and Wales, provides a core framework in which we can all work to deliver collectively the best protection possible for missing children, adults and their families.

6th Oct 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the Residential Care Leadership Board to report on progress in implementing Sir Martin Narey's recommendations in his report Residential Care in England.

The Department is committed to setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board to drive significant improvements in the children’s residential care system in England. We have already advertised for the position of chair and the board will be up and running in the New Year (2018).

The board will initially focus on Sir Martin Narey’s recommendations for improving commissioning practices and developing ways of “Staying Close” for care leavers after they move out of residential homes.

Any plans for reporting on progress will be discussed with the chair on appointment.


20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) local authority, (b) private and (c) other care homes in England have been rated as requires improvement by Ofsted by provider for every year for the past five years for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

I am sorry, but the information requested is held by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s social care. The Chief Inspector of Ofsted will write to you with this information. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House libraries.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority children's care homes in England have closed in each region in each year for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

I am sorry, but the information requested is held by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s social care. The Chief Inspector of Ofsted will write to you with this information. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House libraries.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children's homes in England are (a) local authority-owned, (b) privately-owned and (c) other for each year for which data is available since the publication of the Children's Homes Data Pack in 2014.

I am sorry, but the information requested is held by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s social care. The Chief Inspector of Ofsted will write to you with this information. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House libraries.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of looked-after children were in out of borough placements in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Stockport for each year since 2011.

The information requested is provided in the table below.

Numbers and percentages of children looked after at 31 March who were placed outside local authority boundary1, 2, 3

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Numbers

England

23,120

23,700

24,480

26,840

27,720

28,290

North West

3,620

3,570

3,850

4,370

4,550

4,510

Stockport

75

65

70

90

80

85

Percentages

England

35

35

36

39

40

40

North West

32

31

33

36

36

36

Stockport

25

23

24

30

27

29

Source: SSDA903

1. England and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. Local authority numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

2. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements children whose LA of placement is not known.

3. Percentages are based on the total number of children looked after at 31 March.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide an estimate of the number of looked-after children who have special educational needs, for each of the last five years for which information is available.

The Department publishes data on numbers of looked after children who have special educational needs, for children who have been looked after continuously for at least twelve months at 31 March. Figures for the last five years for which information is available have been summarised in the table below.

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Children looked after1 with special educational needs2

20,740

22,030

21,890

21,070

20,220

1. Children looked after continuously for at least twelve months as at 31 March excluding children in respite care. Only children who have been matched to census data and are aged 4 or above (at 31 March) have been included.

2. Children matched to school census and AP census, with known SEN status.

The figures are from the 2012 to 2016 Outcomes for children looked after by LAs: 31 March statistical first releases, which are available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on (a) care homes and (b) residential care by local authorities in England for each year for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

Our data collection on local authority spend does not differentiate between spend on care homes and residential care.

Total local authority spend on residential care for children looked after from 2013-14 to 2015-16 is shown below. These figures are published as part of the Department’s Section 251 collection.

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

Local authority spend on residential care, £ million (gross rounded)

1,021

1,016

1,103

The section 251 return collects local authority spend on the following items specifically for looked after children: residential care, fostering services, adoption services, special guardianship support, short breaks (respite) for looked after disabled children, children placed with family and friends, education of looked after children, leaving care support services, asylum seeker services – children.

The Department publishes estimates of the weekly unit costs of residential care in the Local Authority Interactive Tool (LAIT), which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.

To access the relevant information, select ‘All LAs level’, then Topic ‘Children’s Service Finance’ then Indicator ‘Residential Care’. The 2015-16 figures are provisional estimates based on a proxy (2014-15 care days). The unit costs will be recalculated once 2015-16 care day figures are available.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the average cost of residential care provision per child per week for each year for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

Our data collection on local authority spend does not differentiate between spend on care homes and residential care.

Total local authority spend on residential care for children looked after from 2013-14 to 2015-16 is shown below. These figures are published as part of the Department’s Section 251 collection.

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

Local authority spend on residential care, £ million (gross rounded)

1,021

1,016

1,103

The section 251 return collects local authority spend on the following items specifically for looked after children: residential care, fostering services, adoption services, special guardianship support, short breaks (respite) for looked after disabled children, children placed with family and friends, education of looked after children, leaving care support services, asylum seeker services – children.

The Department publishes estimates of the weekly unit costs of residential care in the Local Authority Interactive Tool (LAIT), which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.

To access the relevant information, select ‘All LAs level’, then Topic ‘Children’s Service Finance’ then Indicator ‘Residential Care’. The 2015-16 figures are provisional estimates based on a proxy (2014-15 care days). The unit costs will be recalculated once 2015-16 care day figures are available.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of looked-after children went missing from placements in (a) England and (b) the North West for more than 24 hours for each year for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

The department does not collect hour-specific data on duration of missing episodes. It collects the date a looked-after child went missing, and the date the child returned to their placement so we cannot provide figures for children who were missing over 24 hours. The available information, covering children who went missing one day and returned on or after the next day is provided in the table. Figures are not comparable between 2015 and 2016.

Percentage of all looked after children during the year1 who went missing2 and returned on or after the following day3

Years ending 31 March 2015 and 2016

Coverage: England

Note: These figures are experimental – 2016 figures should not be compared to 2015 (see footnote 4).

20154

2016

England

5

7

North West

5

6

Source: SSDA903

1. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Expressed as a percentage of the total number of looked after children during the year.

2. Missing is defined as a looked after child who is not at their placement or a place they are expected to be (e.g. a school) and their whereabouts is not known. This does not include children who were away from their placement without authorisation where the child’s whereabouts was known.

3. Incidents of a child going missing where the end date of the missing period was after its start date. This will include short missing periods where the child went missing late at night but was found in the early hours of the following morning.

4. These figures are experimental statistics. 2016 is the second year the statistics have been collected in this way and local authorities reported some significant improvements in consistency and completeness of the data; figures for 2015 and 2016 are not comparable.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many care homes there were in (a) England and (b) the North West broken down by (i) local authority ownership, (ii) private ownership and (iii) other for each year for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

I am sorry, but the Department does not hold the information requested.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average number was of looked-after children that local authorities placed in children's homes for each year for which information is available, since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

Information on the number of looked-after children by placement type is published in table A2 of the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2015 to 2016, which is available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2015-to-2016.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children there were in England for each of the last five years.

This information is published in the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2015 to 2016, which is available at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2015-to-2016.

The number of looked after children and all children who were convicted or have been subject to a final warning or reprimanded in each year by age since 2014 can be found in Table I1.

The number of looked after children who were identified as having a substance misuse problem in each year by age since 2014 can be found in Table I2. Equivalent figures are not available for all children.

The number of children who were looked after at 31 March of each of the last five years can be found in Table A1.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) looked-after children and (b) other children have been identified as having a substance misuse problem for each year for which data is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

This information is published in the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2015 to 2016, which is available at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2015-to-2016.

The number of looked after children and all children who were convicted or have been subject to a final warning or reprimanded in each year by age since 2014 can be found in Table I1.

The number of looked after children who were identified as having a substance misuse problem in each year by age since 2014 can be found in Table I2. Equivalent figures are not available for all children.

The number of children who were looked after at 31 March of each of the last five years can be found in Table A1.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the number of (a) looked-after children and (b) other children who have been subject to a final warning or reprimanded, by age, for each year for which data is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

This information is published in the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2015 to 2016, which is available at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2015-to-2016.

The number of looked after children and all children who were convicted or have been subject to a final warning or reprimanded in each year by age since 2014 can be found in Table I1.

The number of looked after children who were identified as having a substance misuse problem in each year by age since 2014 can be found in Table I2. Equivalent figures are not available for all children.

The number of children who were looked after at 31 March of each of the last five years can be found in Table A1.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what attendance rates at school were for (a) looked-after children and (b) other children by educational provider for each year for which data is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

The Department publishes data on absence from school by type of school for children who have been looked after continuously for at least twelve months at 31 March. Figures for 2013 to 2016 are in Table 5 of the Outcomes for children looked after by LAs: 31 March 2016 statistical first release, which is available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/outcomes-for-children-looked-after-by-las-31-march-2016. School absence figures for all children over this period is also presented in this table.

The above statistical first release provides school types; state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools. A more detailed level of school type is not readily available and it is unclear if it is required.

20th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of looked-after children have gone missing from placements in (a) England and (b) the North West for each year for which information is available since he publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.

This information is published as experimental statistics in the statistical first release Children looked after in England including adoption which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

The number and percentage of looked after children who went missing from their placement in the year ending 31 March by region can be found in the 2014-2015 release at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015 and the 2015-2016 release at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2015-to-2016 in Table LAG1. The department does not distinguish between children who were missing from their placement and those who were absent from their placement. This information was collected for the first time in 2015 and so comparisons between years should be treated with caution.