§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the number of children in the care of London boroughs in(a)1999, (b)2000 and (c)2001 were from (i) black and (ii) ethnic minority backgrounds. [64105]
§ Jacqui SmithThe available information for children looked after in London boroughs at 31 March 2001 is shown in the table. Information for earlier years is not available, as 2001 was the first year information was collected on the ethnic origin of children looked after by local councils in England.
1087W
Children looked after in London boroughs, by ethnic origin, as at 31 March 2001 Percentage Ethnic origin London boroughs All children White Mixed origin Black or Black British Other ethnic groups Tower Hamlets 100 45 16 15 24 Wandsworth 100 49 4 40 6 Westminster 100 44 19 27 11 Outer London Barking and Dagenham 100 73 6 5 16 Barnet 100 69 12 14 5 Bexley 100 87 — 8 — Brent 100 34 13 46 6 Bromley 100 81 10 — — Croydon 100 71 11 14 4 Ealing 100 50 18 19 13 Enfield 100 63 — — 19 Haringey 100 38 15 43 3 Harrow 100 55 10 16 19 Havering 100 79 — — 13 Hillingdon 100 50 8 27 14 Hounslow 100 68 15 11 6 Kingston upon Thames 100 84 — 10 — Merton 100 75 — 20 — Newham 100 36 4 32 27 Redbridge 100 71 12 14 — Richmond upon Thames 100 77 — — 13 Sutton 100 84 — 9 — Waltham Forest 100 49 20 29 2 1Indicates not availabelle Notes:
1. Figures for children looked after in this table exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.
2. Small percentages, particularly where the number is less than five, together with all data for the City of London, have been suppressed for reasons of confidentiality. All suppressed data in the table are indicated by the symbol "—".
§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were in the care of(a)London boroughs and (b)local authorities in England and Wales in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2001. [64106]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested for London and local councils in England is shown in the table. Information on the number of children looked after by local councils in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.
Children looked after at 31 March 1999 to 2001, England and London Number 1999 2000 2001 England 55,500 58,100 58,900 London 9,590 10,400 10,970 Notes:
1. Figures for children looked after in this table exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.
2. Figures for London have been rounded to the nearest 100. All figures include estimates for missing data.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of children between the ages of 16 and 18 years living(a)in a residential care home and (b)with foster parents were not in education, employment or training for the last five years for which figures are available. [63113]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 19 June 2002]:The information requested is not collected centrally. A new departmental statistical return (0C3) will collect data from social services departments in England concerning 1088W the educational or employment status of care leavers on their 19th birthday. The return requires councils to report whether each care leaver, who was looked after on 1 April in their 17th year, is in education, training, employment, or is sick or unemployed. This data will be published for the first time in autumn 2002.