Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the written ministerial statement by the Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families, Mr Edward Timpson, on 1 November 2016 concerning a safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children (HCWS232), what that strategy will contain; and when it will be published.

The safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children will be published by 1 May 2017.

The strategy will set out how we will continue to support local authorities and other agencies to care for these young people, through increasing placement capacity, encouraging the use of supported lodgings, addressing additional training needs and revising statutory guidance on how to support and care for these children. In developing the strategy, we will also evaluate procedures for the safe transfer of children from Europe, identify further action to prevent these children going missing, review information provided to these children about their rights, and review the funding provided to local authorities to assist them in supporting and caring for these children. The strategy will cover not only unaccompanied children who will become looked after, but also children who are seeking to be reunited with family.