Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average annual cost per child of looked-after children in residential care is in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Education is a devolved matter and this response outlines the information for England only. The average cost for a looked after child in private residential care in 2020/21 was approximately £254,000 per annum and £217,000 for a child in an local authority placement: https://www.pssru.ac.uk/pub/uc/uc2021/services.pdf.

Costs may vary depending on factors such as location and the child’s level of need.