§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will encourage and help to fund bodies providing homes and education for refugee children in Britain with no relatives in this country.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hooper)Responsibility for providing accommodation and education for refugee children unaccompanied by parents or guardians lies with local authorities.
Discussions about the additional social services costs of caring for unaccompanied children from Eritrea are taking place between the department and the local authority associations.
The department exceptionally directed funds to two voluntary organisations to care for 30 unaccompanied Vietnamese children who have come to the UK under specific government programmes resulting from international agreements. The cost of this service in 1989–90 was around £1 million.
Where local education authorities are making extra provision to meet the particular needs of those who are for the time being resident in a camp or other accommodation or establishment provided for refugees or for displaced or similar persons, they may apply for a grant paid under Section 210 of the Education Reform Act 1988. In 1990–91 expenditure of £54,100 on extra educational provision for unaccompanied Vietnamese children living in accommodation provided by a voluntary organisation is being supported through grant.