Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of the figures produced by BBCRadio5 and the Observer that the numbers of 16 and 17 year olds in independent living placements without live-in support in England has increased by 28 per cent since 2010.

The department collects annual data on looked after children in independent living, with or without live-in support. These figures are given in the attached table. This information is not broken down to bed and breakfast accommodation, adult hostels, campsites or independent living placements without live-in support. Securing suitable accommodation that meets the needs of looked after children is a vital step in delivering improved outcomes for this vulnerable group.

The number of children in independent living increased by 29% between 2010 and 2018. This category includes accommodation such as a flat, lodgings, bedsit, bed and breakfast or living with friends. Live-in visiting support may be included as part of this package. Care should be taken when interpreting this rise because changes to the collection resulted in improvements in the accuracy of reporting placements. The figures for 2015 and earlier years are therefore not comparable with later years and any assessment of trends should take this into account.

The department collects and publishes data on 17 year old care leavers who are accommodated in bed and breakfasts and emergency accommodation. This is published in Table F4 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.