Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of false allegations of child abuse or mistreatment made against staff in (a) professional care centres, (b) social services units and (c) other contexts in each of the last three years.

Local authorities are responsible for putting in place arrangements for the appropriate management of allegations against people who work with children. Statuary guidance on handling allegations is set out in Working Together 2015 and Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Department for Education does not hold records of allegations made against staff. While sympathetic to the position of those subject to false allegations on any matter, we have no plans to set up a scheme to enable claims for professional damages in these circumstances.