Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on introducing a formal duty to the criminal justice system to notify (a) schools and (b) local safeguarding boards when the parent of a child aged 18 or under is imprisoned.

The Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice are working closely to deliver our joint manifesto commitment to identify children affected by parental imprisonment and ensure they get the support they need to thrive. We understand the importance of driving action on this important agenda and we are working with a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience, schools and those with expertise in safeguarding, to ensure we take a child-centred, trauma-informed and age-appropriate approach.