I have been contacted by a number of my constituents who have raised concerns about unaccompanied and vulnerable children seeking asylum in the UK.

The Government takes its safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and there are procedures in place to ensure all under-18s are accommodated as safely as possible while in hotels. These include personnel who provide 24/7 supervision, staff and contractors receiving briefings and guidance on how to safeguard minors, and all children receiving a welfare interview. The movements of under-18s in and out of hotels are also monitored and recorded, and they are accompanied by social workers when attending organised activities.

The Home Office does not have power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in these settings and we know a small number do go missing. In the event that a child does go missing, a multi-agency missing persons protocol is mobilised alongside the police and the relevant local authority.

The Government is committed to ending the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers. the Home Office is providing local authorities with children’s services with £15,000 for eligible young people they take into their care from a dedicated unaccompanied asylum-seeking children hotel.

I can assure you that safeguarding concerns for unaccompanied minors are, and will remain, a priority for the Government. I am glad that reforms are being introduced to ensure that there is a fair and effective asylum system that works in the interests of the British people.