Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court cases involving wardship there were in each of the last five years.

The wardship jurisdiction is part of the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court. It is the duty of the court to ensure that a child who is the subject of proceedings is protected and taken care of. The wardship jurisdiction means the court has custody of the child who is a ward. No important step can be taken in the child's life without the court's consent.

Data for the number of wardship applications made to courts in England and Wales during each of the last five calendar years is in the table below.