Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of The Ethnicity of Missing People report, published 7 March 2023.

The Government is determined that missing people and their families receive the best possible protection and support from Government, statutory agencies, and the voluntary sector.

The Government acknowledges that the most recent data published by the National Crime Agency, covering the period 2020-21, indicated that Black people are disproportionately affected by missing incidents: http://missingpersons.police.uk/en-gb/resources/downloads/missing-persons-statistical-bulletins. This aligns with the findings from The Ethnicity of Missing People report, which also indicates the over-representation of Black children in care in missing reports.

To improve the police response to missing people from all backgrounds and address racial and ethnic disparities, the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) works with police forces across England and Wales, the charity Missing People and the NCA Missing Persons Unit to consider these issues and what action is needed.

To ensure the response to all missing people is prioritised by all relevant agencies and that existing resources and processes are adapted to improve that response, the NPCC published the Missing from Care Framework (February 2022), which the previous Safeguarding Minister endorsed. This provides a blueprint for how to respond to those who go missing from health and care settings. Protecting and supporting all vulnerable missing people is also a key element of our action to tackle exploitation and abuse, including sexual abuse and county lines exploitation.