Andrew Bridgen
There is an increasing number of children in care, with the latest figures showing nearly 80,000 children in care in England alone. What steps is my hon. Friend’s Department taking to reverse this trend?
Michelle Donelan
My hon. Friend is quite right. The number of children in the care sector is a worry both to me and the Government. That is why we have a number of initiatives to support families to stay together. We have spent £70 million on supporting families and £84 million on strengthening families for this very reason.
[Official Report, 20 January 2020, Vol. 670, c. 3-4.]
Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Chippenham (Michelle Donelan):
An error has been identified in the response I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen).
The correct response should have been:
Michelle Donelan
My hon. Friend is quite right. The number of children in the care sector is a worry both to me and the Government. That is why we have a number of initiatives to support families to stay together. We will be spending approximately £17 million on Supporting Families and £84 million on Strengthening Families for this very reason.