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722979

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Children's Commissioners for England, Wales and Scotland were consulted ahead of placing looked after children from England and Wales in secure accommodation in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	71494
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2017 answer text <p>Placements in Scottish secure homes have happened commonly over time, increasing the diversity of specialist secure provision available, which in turn is in the best interests of our most vulnerable children.</p><p> </p><p>My department has not consulted on the amendments on placing looked after children from England and Wales in Secure accommodation in Scotland, in the Children and Social Work Bill. Whilst no child has been placed by an English or Welsh local authority in secure accommodation in Scotland without the authority of the courts in England and Wales, these amendments are necessary to fill a legislative gap relating to secure placements in Scotland by English and Welsh local authorities. While important, the amendments do not seek to change policy. They are essentially a technical fix to clarify the legal position.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 25/04/2017 15:23:55 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

722466

registered interest
date	19/04/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Social Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will disclose names of individuals and organisations who attended meetings with the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families on the power to test different ways of working provisions of the Children and Social Work Bill; and on what dates such meetings took place.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	71298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2017 answer text <p>The Chief Social Worker has met social workers and other individuals and organisations at many meetings, events and conferences to discuss policy and the Children and Social Work Bill more broadly, where the power may have been only one possible area of discussion. Below is a list of the key meetings attended by the CSW, which focussed more specifically on the power to test different ways of working.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date of meeting</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Organisation/Individual</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>25/07/2016</p></td><td><p>Family Rights Group</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>01/08/2016</p></td><td><p>Family Rights Group</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>03/08/2016</p></td><td><p>Cafcass</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>04/08/2016</p></td><td><p>Who Cares? Trust</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>08/09/2016</p></td><td><p>Barnardo’s</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>08/09/2016</p></td><td><p>NSPCC</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>13/09/2016</p></td><td><p>Partners in Practice Local Authorities (Hampshire County Council, Leeds City Council, Lincolnshire County Council); Baroness Pinnock; Earl of Listowel</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>15/09/2016</p></td><td><p>Article 39</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>27/09/2016</p></td><td><p>Lord Laming</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12/10/2016</p></td><td><p>The Children’s Society</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16/01/2017</p></td><td><p>NAIRO; Hampshire County Council; Tri-borough Children’s Services; Leeds City Council; North Yorkshire County Council</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>21/02/2017</p></td><td><p>Tim Loughton MP; Kelly Tollhurst MP; Lord Mackay; Lord Laming</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 24/04/2017 14:35:58 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

722467

registered interest
date	19/04/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Social Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what action was taken by her Department in response to the National Audit Office's investigation into a potential conflict of interest between the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families and a company called Morning Lane Associates.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	71299
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2017 answer text <p>The Department has taken action to improve its processes in the handling of potential conflicts of interests. There is a clear process for all civil servants to follow. Specifically, there is an agreed protocol in place that specifies the Chief Social Worker will not be involved in any decision-making process, which could result in any public funding being awarded to Morning Lane Associates or any other organisations in which she may have a conflict of interest. This sets out proportionate measures to ensure there are no actual or perceived conflicts of interest around funding decisions, while still allowing the Chief Social Worker to fulfil her role.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 24/04/2017 16:38:29 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

715029

registered interest
date	29/03/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care: Care Leavers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) data and (b) methodology her Department uses to calculate the level of funding for staying put arrangements.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	69844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2017 answer text <p>The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced a new duty on local authorities to support young people to continue to live with their former foster carers once they turn 18 (the ‘Staying Put’ duty). The duty came into force in May 2014.</p><p> </p><p>The funding amounts allocated to local authorities since the introduction of the duty are listed below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial year</p></td><td><p>Staying Put Grant, total payment</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>£7.4m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>£14.8m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>£22.2m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>These totals were calculated using information from an independent evaluation of a pilot of the staying put initiative and evidence from the annual children looked after return on the numbers of children ceasing to be looked after from foster care placements each year.</p><p> </p><p>The annual children looked after return is also used to allocate annual grant allocations across local authorities each year. The allocation is based on the number of looked after children who were in foster care placements in each local authority at the time of their 18<sup>th</sup> birthday.</p><p> </p><p>In ‘Keep on caring: supporting young people from care to independence,’ published in July 2016, the Department for Education announced that funding to local authorities to implement Staying Put will continue over the life of this Parliament, using the £22.2m provided in 2016/17 as the baseline.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 21/04/2017 13:39:58 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

685475

registered interest
date	06/02/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Secure Accommodation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on how many places there are available in secure residential accommodation for children in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales; how many of those places are currently filled; and how many children placed in such accommodation in (i) England were previously resident in (A) Scotland and (B) Wales, (ii) Scotland were previously resident in (A) England and (B) Wales and (iii) Wales were previously resident in (A) England and (B) Scotland.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	63206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2017 answer text <p>The data requested on the number of places approved, number of places available and number of children accommodated is published in the ‘Children accommodated in secure children's homes’ Statistical First Release for England and Wales:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-accommodated-in-secure-childrens-homes-31-march-2016" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-accommodated-in-secure-childrens-homes-31-march-2016</a></p><p>The publication is based on an aggregate return and does not collect information on where children were previously resident.</p><p>The department does not publish nor collect data for Scotland. However, data on available places in secure residential accommodation for Scotland is publicly available at <a href="http://www.sanscotland.org/" target="_blank">http://www.sanscotland.org/</a></p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 09/02/2017 15:54:50 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

685476

registered interest
date	06/02/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adoption
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many adopted children (a) were placed with their full or half siblings in the last three years and (b) who were not so placed have not had contact with their full or half siblings detailed in their adoption order in the last three years.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	63208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2017 answer text <p>Local authorities hold such information in plans for looked after children and adopted children. This data is not sent to the Department. Local authorities must take account of a family’s needs when planning care for a child in so far as is consistent with the welfare of a child (which remains paramount), as set out in guidance on care placements, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-care-planning-placement-and-case-review. Where it is not possible, or appropriate, to place siblings together, siblings must be supported to understand the reasons why. Contact arrangements between siblings must be robust and remain under independent review.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 63207 63302 question first answered 09/02/2017 13:16:55 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

685477

registered interest
date	06/02/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children who have one or more siblings have (a) been placed and (b) not been placed with their siblings in each of the last three years; and of those children who were not placed with their siblings (i) how many have contact with the siblings they are separated from and (ii) what the frequency is of that contact.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	63207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2017 answer text <p>Local authorities hold such information in plans for looked after children and adopted children. This data is not sent to the Department. Local authorities must take account of a family’s needs when planning care for a child in so far as is consistent with the welfare of a child (which remains paramount), as set out in guidance on care placements, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-care-planning-placement-and-case-review. Where it is not possible, or appropriate, to place siblings together, siblings must be supported to understand the reasons why. Contact arrangements between siblings must be robust and remain under independent review.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 63208 63302 question first answered 09/02/2017 13:16:55 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

685491

registered interest
date	06/02/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children subject to care orders (s31) as defined by the Children Act 1989 are placed with their (a) full and (b) half siblings.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	63302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2017 answer text <p>Local authorities hold such information in plans for looked after children and adopted children. This data is not sent to the Department. Local authorities must take account of a family’s needs when planning care for a child in so far as is consistent with the welfare of a child (which remains paramount), as set out in guidance on care placements, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-care-planning-placement-and-case-review. Where it is not possible, or appropriate, to place siblings together, siblings must be supported to understand the reasons why. Contact arrangements between siblings must be robust and remain under independent review.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 63207 63208 question first answered 09/02/2017 13:16:55 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

679690

registered interest
date	27/01/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Social Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to prohibit subsidiaries of profit-making companies from contracting with local authorities to run child protection and other children's social care services.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	62042
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2017 answer text <p>As stated in my answer of 25 January, my policy is that no organisation can contract with a local authority to deliver child protection functions if they are operated on a for profit basis. This is the case regardless of organisational form. This is made clear in the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (Relevant Care Functions) (England) Regulations 2014. The Government has no intention of revisiting the settled position on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 01/02/2017 16:48:01 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

678593

registered interest
date	25/01/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Social Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to prohibit subsidiaries of profit-making companies from contracting with local authorities to run child protection and other children's social care services.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	61584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2017 answer text <p>The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (Relevant Care Functions) (England) Regulations 2014 are clear that local authorities may not contract out child protection functions to any organisation that is operated for profit. The Government has no intention of revisiting the settled position on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 30/01/2017 16:22:51 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck