Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bellamy on 8 March (HL5707), what assessment they have made of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory report What do we know about children and young people deprived of their liberty in England and Wales?, published on 9 February 2022; and what steps they plan to take in response to the recommendations for collecting and publishing data made in that report.

The department welcomes the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s report ‘What do we know about children and young people deprived of their liberty in England and Wales’, and recognises the growing concerns regarding deprivation of liberty (DoL) cases. Children and young people deprived of their liberty are some of the most vulnerable children in society.

The newly launched National DoLs Court has helped the judiciary and the government gain more robust data and a greater understanding of this cohort of children who are often the subject of DoL proceedings, which requires a cross-system response.

The department accepts that there is a need for more robust data and will be meeting with the Ministry of Justice, HM Courts and Tribunals Services, and Nuffield to discuss their recommendations. Officials are meeting with Nuffield on 19 April. As data collection continues, we will be able to better understand the number of children placed in different settings, their characteristics, experiences and outcomes.