Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors.

The safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our primary concern.

We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum seeking children in hotels and we know some do go missing. Many of those who have gone missing are subsequently traced and located. Children’s movements in and out of hotels are monitored and recorded and they are accompanied by support workers when attending organised activities and social excursions off-site, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.

When a young person goes missing the ‘missing persons protocol’ is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. A multi-agency, missing persons protocol is mobilised alongside the police and local authorities, to establish their whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe

Regarding an inquiry; the Home Secretary is taking advice from officials and considering the appropriate next steps.