§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of children in care who died in each of the last three years, together with the cause of their deaths.
§ Mr. MoyleThe number of children in care in England who died in the 12 months ending 31st March was as follows:
1974 … … … … 106 1975 … … … … 143 1976 … … … … 132 The figure for 1977 is not yet available Statistics of the cause of death are not collected centrally as explained in the answer to my hon. Friend's related question.
§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a copy of his instruction to local authorities regarding notification to his Department of the causes of death in cases of children in care.
§ Mr. MoyleThe Community Homes Regulations 1972 require the person in charge of a community home to make a report to the local authority or voluntary organisation responsible for the home and the managers, the child's parent or guardian and where appropriate, the care728W authority. The Administration of Children's Homes Regulations 1951 require the Secretary of State to be notified in respect of voluntary homes which have not become community homes.
Although there is no legal requirement for them to do so, local authorities have since February 1964 observed a request first made in Home Office Circular No. 28/1964 to report the circumstances of the death of any child in their care who was boarded out with foster parents. In May this year my Department's chief social work officer wrote to directors of social services in England to confirm these arrangements and to ask that the regional social work service should be informed if any child in care dies in unusual or unexpected circumstances, or because equipment or safeguards may have proved defective or inadequate. There is however no general requirement that the causes of death should be notified to my Department in all cases.