Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the unique needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are met during integration into education, care and health services.

Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Children Act to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, unaccompanied asylum seeking children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation, and psychological and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK. They are also provided with a personal social worker. We work closely with Department for Education and local authorities to support effective access to, and delivery of, these services to this group of children.