Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data the Department holds on the number of children placed in out-of-area care in unregistered settings in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes since 2020.

The department does not centrally hold information on the number of children looked after in unregistered settings.

The department collects data on children looked after by placement type, such as foster care, children’s home, supported accommodation and those in unregistered accommodation. However, unregistered accommodation placements are reported by local authorities within the category ‘Other’ so cannot be identified separately.

The latest information on children looked after placements, relating to the year ending 31 March 2024 was published on 14 November 2024 in the annual statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’. This can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2024.