Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department produces an annual (a) estimate of the number of children missing from education in England and Wales and (b) assessment of the reasons for those children being missing.

I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on 24 November (214706) in relation to an estimate of the number of children missing from education in England and Wales.

The Department for Education does not produce an assessment of the reasons for those children missing education. Education in Wales is a devolved matter.The Welsh Government is responsible for polices and legislation regarding children missing from education in Wales.