Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 26 March 2015 to Question 228386, what steps her Department plans to take in relation to the four authorities found to be in breach of visiting timescales for children in private fostering arrangements.

I have issued statutory directions or improvement notices in the case of all four authorities found to be in breach of visiting timescales for children privately fostered, requiring improvements to be made. Each has a tailored intervention programme designed to address the weaknesses in children’s services highlighted by Ofsted.