Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 155129 on Asylum: Children, how many people are on the unaccompanied asylum seeking children taskforce; whether any members of the taskforce are from outside government; how many taskforce meetings have been held to date; what the estimated cost of running the taskforce has been since November 2022; and whether the taskforce is expected to publish a report on its findings; and if she will make a statement.

The Home Office and Department for Education (DfE) established a UASC taskforce in November 2022 which has been meeting regularly. This multiagency taskforce includes senior representatives from the Home Office, DfE, Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC), the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ACDS) and the Local Government Association (LGA) to consider the challenges presented by an increase in the number of UASC. It is co-chaired by DfE Permanent Secretary, Susan Acland-Hood and Home Office Second Permanent Secretary, Patricia Hayes.

There are no costs associated with the taskforce other than for officials and other attendees to prepare for, attend and follow up discussions as appropriate. The government will not be publishing a report of the discussions held by the taskforce.