Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries outside the UK local authorities in England and Wales permanently placed looked-after children with relatives or connected people in each of the last five years.

The number and location of looked after children in England who were permanently placed outside the UK in the last 5 years is not collected centrally by the department.

A child arrangement order, special guardianship or adoption order could be used by local authorities in England to place looked-after children in countries outside the UK when that is in the best interest of the child.

The Department does not collect information for children looked after by Welsh local authorities. This is the responsibility of the devolved administration.