Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 October 2020 to Question 96213 on Children: Coronavirus, what contact the London regional team has had with the London borough of Bexley on the impact of covid-19 on children's services.

Departmental officials are routinely in touch with local authorities to discuss the progress of their children’s services. We have been in contact with all local authorities in recent months, including the London Borough of Bexley, to understand how they are dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, the impact on children’s services, and how the department can support them during this difficult period.