Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the amount spent under section 17 of the Children's Act 1989 by public bodies in each of the last five years.
The Department for Education collects data on local council spending on a range of services for children and young people. Local councils are not required to provide separate data regarding spend on children provided with support under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
The following local authority gross spend may be on children in need but may also provide services to children not assessed as needing support under section 17:
| 2012-13 £000s | 2013-14 £000s | 2014-15 £000s | 2015-16 £000s | 2016-17 £000s |
Child protection and safeguarding | £1,965,569 | £2,026,366 | £2,122,368 | £2,226,843 | £2,334,268 |
Early years and children’s centres | £1,193,408 | £1,053,716 | £945,453 | £843,954 | £774,349 |
Family support | £973,056 | £1,043,722 | £1,078,865 | £1,073,944 | £1,087,140 |
Other children and families services | £110,534 | £100,008 | £86,959 | £102,933 | £87,175 |
Services for young people | £815,910 | £712,771 | £627,070 | £527,980 | £447,532 |
Source: Section 251 Outturn