Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated to local authorities to support the unaccompanied child refugees in the UK.

The Government significantly increased the funding provided to local authorities looking after Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in July. These rates are based on a detailed analysis of financial information sent to the Home Office by local authorities about their actual cost of caring for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. The analysis showed that the average cost across all local authorities of looking after an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child aged under 16 was approximately £41,610 per annum and the average cost of supporting those aged 16 and 17 was approximately £33,215 per annum. The Government has made additional funding available for local authorities through the Controlling Migration Fund.

The UK Government takes it’s responsibility in all cases involving children seriously has committed to regularly review funding to support and care for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children, working closely with the Local Government Association and local authorities.