Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the cost implications of children who (1) remain longer in care, and (2) are returned to care, as a result of the changes made to the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. This, of course, includes assessing the cost implications of decisions.