§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide figures for the number of children in England(a) in care, (b) in psychiatric units and (c) in residential schools for non-attendance at school; and if he will give the overall costs and costs per week per child for each case.
§ Mrs. CurrieI have been asked to reply.
I regret that not all the figures requested are available; the available information is as follows.
At 31 March 1986, it is estimated that there were 66,700 children in care of local authorities in England.
In 1985–86, the total expenditure on children in care was £406 million, an average cost of £144 per child per week (provisional figure). Expenditure on some items, including administration and field work, cannot be separately identified for children in care and is not included here. Children on whom little or no expenditure has been incurred (for example children in care living at home) have been excluded in calculating the average cost.
There were 500 children aged under 16 years resident in NHS mental illness hospitals and units in England at 31 December 1986.
It is estimated that there were 1,900 children in care for non-attendance at school under section 1(2)(e) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 at 31 March 1986. It is not known how many of these children are in residential schools.