Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have been released under investigation in (a) Sussex police force area, and (b) England and Wales since 23 March 2020.

The Home Office does not hold information on people, including children, who have been released under investigation by the police.

Decisions on whether to use pre-charge bail or release suspects pending further enquiries are operational matters for individual police forces and will be assessed on a case by case basis.

The government completed its public consultation on the pre-charge bail system, including release under investigation, on 29 May 2020. The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.