Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered alternative models for the (a) oversight and (b) registration of foster carers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of alternative models on the adequacy of (i) safeguarding and (ii) consistency.

The department is considering the merits of a national register of foster carers. We will continue to review the costs and benefits of a national register versus our other investments into foster care.

We recognise that some stakeholders are in favour of a register, but we are also mindful of increasing any burden on local authorities and social workers, given our wider drive to reduce workload and unnecessary bureaucracy in the system.