Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government who has statutory responsibility for unaccompanied children seeking asylum who are in interim accommodation provided by the Home Office before they are placed under the care of a local authority.

Whilst an unaccompanied child is in interim accommodation provided by the department, the Home Office will do whatever is reasonable to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. However, this does not impact the statutory duties owed to unaccompanied children by local authorities at this or any other time. It is for the relevant local authority to consider its duties under the Children Act 1989. The Home Office does not have, and therefore cannot discharge, duties under Part 3 of the Children Act 1989.