HC Deb 09 July 2002 vol 388 c927W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children seeking asylum who have arrived in the UK in the last five years have been placed as children in care. [67635]

Jacqui Smith

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being separately identified for the first time in the Department's statistical collections on looked-after children for the year ending 31 March 2002. At present these data are still being collected and validated. It is anticipated that preliminary figures will be available in the autumn of 2002.