Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to their proposals to extend the power for local authorities to outsource their children's social work functions including child protection, what assessment has been made of (1) the risks to children and young people, (2) the risks to the impartiality and integrity of statutory decision-making and interventions, and (3) the risks of conflicts of interest arising for third-party providers that bid for social work functions and for commissioned care placement.

The Government is considering the outcome of its consultation on delegation of children's social care functions. The proposals would place no obligations on local authorities and do not remove their statutory accountability for child protection and wider children's social care.

Should the proposals proceed, local authorities will need to ensure that any arrangements they put in place allow them to meet their statutory duties and properly manage questions of risk and conflicts of interest.

Ofsted will consider these arrangements as part of local authority inspections and hold the authority to account for the quality of its children's services.