Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2014, Official Report, columns 366-7W, on children: databases, what his Department's policy is on sharing information in respect of vulnerable children and children at risk.

The statutory guidance, ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2013', is very clear that the effective sharing of information between professionals and local agencies is essential for accurate identification, assessment and provision of services for vulnerable children. The Department for Education's policy is clear that fears about sharing information cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children.