Ensuring that children are in school is a top priority for the government. The department routinely collects daily absence data to understand the causes for absence. The latest data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools.

The data is one part of the department’s comprehensive national attendance strategy to ensure that every child registered at school attends every day. The strategy contains stronger expectations of schools, trusts and local authorities to work together to tackle absence as set out in guidance that will become statutory in August 2024. It also includes an attendance data tool allowing early identification and intervention of pupils at risk of persistent absence. Participation in this data tool will become mandatory from September 2024.

As a further part of the strategy, 10 Attendance Advisers will support local authorities and trusts, expanding the department’s attendance mentor pilot from 5 to 15 areas from September 2024, backed by an additional £15 million and reaching 10,000 children. This will double the number of lead attendance hubs, bringing the total to 32, supporting nearly 2,000 schools to tackle persistent absence.

Alongside these measures, the department is supporting schools in promoting good mental health in children. Key steps include making grants available to all state schools to train a Senior Mental Health lead to embed a whole school approach to mental health, and further rollout of Mental Health Support Teams to reach 50% of children by April 2025.

These measures are making a difference, in 2022/23 380,000 fewer children were persistently absent or not attending in than in 2021/22.

For those children who are not enrolled at a school, the department collects termly data on home educated children and children missing education from local authorities, doing so on a voluntary basis since October 2022, with the collection becoming mandatory this autumn. Analysis of the data is allowing the department to understand the drivers behind the rise in children not in school and take action where appropriate. The data is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/652cf499697260000dccf830/Elective_home_education_and_children_missing_education_2023-24_aggregate_data_collection_guide_v1.1.pdf.

Parents have a right to educate their children at home and must provide an efficient, suitable full-time education if the child is of compulsory school age. Local authorities hold the relevant powers to make enquiries with parents as to whether a suitable education is being provided. If home education appears not to be suitable, the local authority must commence the school attendance order process by first issuing a preliminary notice.

The government remains committed to legislation for a local authority registration system for children not in school. My hon. Friend, the Member for Meon Valley, Flick Drummond, introduced the Children Not in School (Registers, Support and Orders) Private Members’ Bill on 11 December 2023. The Bill’s Second Reading is scheduled for 15 March 2024. The government is working with her as she progresses her Bill.

Local authorities also have a duty to make arrangements to identify children in their area who are not in school or receiving a suitable education elsewhere. The department has issued statutory guidance for local authorities to support them in this duty, and is running a call for evidence on improving support for children missing education to inform future policy.

To keep all children safe, revisions to Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023), clarify that a multi-agency safeguarding response applies to all forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. In 2021, the department provided £1.5 million to 20 local authorities across 7 regions to develop and strengthen multiagency approaches to safeguarding adolescents at risk of harm outside the home. The department funded the £2.8 million Tackling Child Exploitation Support Programme (2019/2023) to help local areas develop their strategic response to extra-familial harms.

Everyone should be able to feel safe in their home and the sexual exploitation of tenants has no place in our society. It is important that local authorities and the police work collaboratively to tackle this issue and take action against criminal landlords.

The Renters (Reform) Bill includes provisions which will help to drive out criminal behaviour. These include increased investigatory and enforcement powers to help local authorities crack down on criminal landlords, and amending the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 to provide local authorities with new powers to issue fines, as an alternative to prosecution, to those who illegally evict or harass tenants.

Furthermore, the Government launched a call for evidence on ‘sex-for-rent’ arrangements, which closed on 30 June. We are currently analysing the results and will provide a response in due course. There are existing criminal offences in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 that may address this practice and both the police and Crown Prosecution Service have produced guidance on it.

Everyone should be able to feel safe in their home and the sexual exploitation of tenants has no place in our society. It is important that local authorities and the police work collaboratively to tackle this issue and take action against criminal landlords.

The Renters (Reform) Bill includes provisions which will help to drive out criminal behaviour. These include increased investigatory and enforcement powers to help local authorities crack down on criminal landlords, and amending the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 to provide local authorities with new powers to issue fines, as an alternative to prosecution, to those who illegally evict or harass tenants.

Furthermore, the Government launched a call for evidence on ‘sex-for-rent’ arrangements, which closed on 30 June. We are currently analysing the results and will provide a response in due course. There are existing criminal offences in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 that may address this practice and both the police and Crown Prosecution Service have produced guidance on it.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for households owed the main homelessness duty until suitable long-term accommodation can be offered to them.  The accommodation must be suitable in relation to the applicant and to all members of their household.

Housing authorities have a continuing obligation to keep the suitability of accommodation under review.

Everyone should be able to feel safe in their home and sexual exploitation of tenants has no place in our society. It is important that local authorities and the police work to tackle this issue and take action against criminal landlords.

The Renters (Reform) Bill, which has been developed in consultation with the Home Office and local authorities, includes provisions which will help to drive out criminal behaviour. These include increased investigatory and enforcement powers to help local authorities crack down on criminal landlords, and amending the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 to provide local authorities with new powers to issue fines, as an alternative to prosecution, to those who illegally evict or harass tenants.

Housing First is a model in which rough sleepers with the most complex needs are provided with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support to help them recover from complex issues and sustain their tenancies. This includes, but is not limited to, victims of sexual violence.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for households owed the main homelessness duty until suitable long-term accommodation can be offered to them.  The accommodation must be suitable in relation to the applicant and to all members of their household.

Housing authorities have a continuing obligation to keep the suitability of accommodation under review.

Everyone should be able to feel safe in their home and sexual exploitation of tenants has no place in our society. It is important that local authorities and the police work to tackle this issue and take action against criminal landlords.

The Renters (Reform) Bill, which has been developed in consultation with the Home Office and local authorities, includes provisions which will help to drive out criminal behaviour. These include increased investigatory and enforcement powers to help local authorities crack down on criminal landlords, and amending the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 to provide local authorities with new powers to issue fines, as an alternative to prosecution, to those who illegally evict or harass tenants.

Housing First is a model in which rough sleepers with the most complex needs are provided with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support to help them recover from complex issues and sustain their tenancies. This includes, but is not limited to, victims of sexual violence.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for households owed the main homelessness duty until suitable long-term accommodation can be offered to them.  The accommodation must be suitable in relation to the applicant and to all members of their household.

Housing authorities have a continuing obligation to keep the suitability of accommodation under review.

Everyone should be able to feel safe in their home and sexual exploitation of tenants has no place in our society. It is important that local authorities and the police work to tackle this issue and take action against criminal landlords.

The Renters (Reform) Bill, which has been developed in consultation with the Home Office and local authorities, includes provisions which will help to drive out criminal behaviour. These include increased investigatory and enforcement powers to help local authorities crack down on criminal landlords, and amending the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 to provide local authorities with new powers to issue fines, as an alternative to prosecution, to those who illegally evict or harass tenants.

Housing First is a model in which rough sleepers with the most complex needs are provided with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support to help them recover from complex issues and sustain their tenancies. This includes, but is not limited to, victims of sexual violence.

Child exploitation has a devastating impact on victims, families and the wider community, and this government is committed to tackling it. My officials engage regularly with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and we work together to ensure young people – including those at risk of exploitation - can access youth services.

In addition, the Home Office funds a range of targeted activity which seeks to support young people at risk of, or involved in, exploitation. This includes:

• £35.5m for Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. Where exploitation is identified as a local concern, VRUs deliver a range of interventions, including detached youth work and targeted mentoring schemes, to those most at risk.

• £200m over 10 years through the Youth Endowment Fund to test what works in preventing young people becoming involved in violence. The Fund evaluates a range of activity, including some youth work programmes, to identify the best-evidenced interventions.

• £20m for new early intervention programmes that will help stop young people from being drawn into violence, including cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, as well as specialist support in crisis moments such as when a person is admitted to A&E with a knife injury.

• £13.2m over four years for the Trusted Relationships Fund, which is testing innovative approaches to tackling vulnerability among young people at risk of exploitation. The Fund aims to build resilience to harm through fostering healthy, trusting relationships with responsible adults, using a variety of methods, including one to one support, community group work and detached youth work.

• £1m of specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement.

We are also working specifically with young women and girls through our £435k Young People’s Advocate fund, which provides one-to-one support to young women and girls at risk of or experiencing all forms of exploitation by gangs. More widely, the Home Office are providing £43m this financial year to tackle violence against women and girls, including through frontline support with young victims.

Child exploitation has a devastating impact on victims, families and the wider community, and this government is committed to tackling it. My officials engage regularly with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and we work together to ensure young people – including those at risk of exploitation - can access youth services.

In addition, the Home Office funds a range of targeted activity which seeks to support young people at risk of, or involved in, exploitation. This includes:

• £35.5m for Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. Where exploitation is identified as a local concern, VRUs deliver a range of interventions, including detached youth work and targeted mentoring schemes, to those most at risk.

• £200m over 10 years through the Youth Endowment Fund to test what works in preventing young people becoming involved in violence. The Fund evaluates a range of activity, including some youth work programmes, to identify the best-evidenced interventions.

• £20m for new early intervention programmes that will help stop young people from being drawn into violence, including cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, as well as specialist support in crisis moments such as when a person is admitted to A&E with a knife injury.

• £13.2m over four years for the Trusted Relationships Fund, which is testing innovative approaches to tackling vulnerability among young people at risk of exploitation. The Fund aims to build resilience to harm through fostering healthy, trusting relationships with responsible adults, using a variety of methods, including one to one support, community group work and detached youth work.

• £1m of specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement.

We are also working specifically with young women and girls through our £435k Young People’s Advocate fund, which provides one-to-one support to young women and girls at risk of or experiencing all forms of exploitation by gangs. More widely, the Home Office are providing £43m this financial year to tackle violence against women and girls, including through frontline support with young victims.

Child exploitation has a devastating impact on victims, families and the wider community, and this government is committed to tackling it. My officials engage regularly with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and we work together to ensure young people – including those at risk of exploitation - can access youth services.

In addition, the Home Office funds a range of targeted activity which seeks to support young people at risk of, or involved in, exploitation. This includes:

• £35.5m for Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. Where exploitation is identified as a local concern, VRUs deliver a range of interventions, including detached youth work and targeted mentoring schemes, to those most at risk.

• £200m over 10 years through the Youth Endowment Fund to test what works in preventing young people becoming involved in violence. The Fund evaluates a range of activity, including some youth work programmes, to identify the best-evidenced interventions.

• £20m for new early intervention programmes that will help stop young people from being drawn into violence, including cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, as well as specialist support in crisis moments such as when a person is admitted to A&E with a knife injury.

• £13.2m over four years for the Trusted Relationships Fund, which is testing innovative approaches to tackling vulnerability among young people at risk of exploitation. The Fund aims to build resilience to harm through fostering healthy, trusting relationships with responsible adults, using a variety of methods, including one to one support, community group work and detached youth work.

• £1m of specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement.

We are also working specifically with young women and girls through our £435k Young People’s Advocate fund, which provides one-to-one support to young women and girls at risk of or experiencing all forms of exploitation by gangs. More widely, the Home Office are providing £43m this financial year to tackle violence against women and girls, including through frontline support with young victims.

County lines gang activity and the associated violence, drug dealing and exploitation has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities. That is why we launched our County Lines Programme in November 2019 with activity concentrated at targeting county line holders while appropriately safeguarding and supporting the vulnerable to exit their involvement.

This financial year we are providing up to £1m for specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement, which includes supporting women and girls involved in this exploitation. We have also provided almost £400k of funding in 2021-22 for Young People’s Advocates who provide one-to-one support to young women and girls at risk of or experiencing all forms of exploitation by gangs. In 2020/21 they supported over 800 young women and girls.

The Home Office works closely with the Department for Education as we recognise that engagement in education is a powerful protective factor against children’s vulnerability and risk to involvement in county lines. The cross-Government Beating Crime Plan published in July this year (2021) announced an investment of over £45m in specialist support in both mainstream and Alternative Provision schools in serious violence hotspots to support young people at risk of involvement in violence to re-engage in education.

Finally, in July this year, the Government published a new and ambitious cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy that sets out our ambition to prioritise prevention, support survivors, pursue perpetrators and create a stronger system, with an objective of reducing prevalence.

County lines gang activity and the associated violence, drug dealing and exploitation has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities. That is why we launched our County Lines Programme in November 2019 with activity concentrated at targeting county line holders while appropriately safeguarding and supporting the vulnerable to exit their involvement.

This financial year we are providing up to £1m for specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement, which includes supporting women and girls involved in this exploitation. We have also provided almost £400k of funding in 2021-22 for Young People’s Advocates who provide one-to-one support to young women and girls at risk of or experiencing all forms of exploitation by gangs. In 2020/21 they supported over 800 young women and girls.

The Home Office works closely with the Department for Education as we recognise that engagement in education is a powerful protective factor against children’s vulnerability and risk to involvement in county lines. The cross-Government Beating Crime Plan published in July this year (2021) announced an investment of over £45m in specialist support in both mainstream and Alternative Provision schools in serious violence hotspots to support young people at risk of involvement in violence to re-engage in education.

Finally, in July this year, the Government published a new and ambitious cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy that sets out our ambition to prioritise prevention, support survivors, pursue perpetrators and create a stronger system, with an objective of reducing prevalence.

The Government is committed to the prevention of county lines exploitation and to supporting children, young people and the most vulnerable in our society who are affected by it. On 20 January this year, we announced £40m of dedicated investment for 2021/22 to tackle drugs supply and county lines, doubling our investment from the previous year.

Since it was launched, in November 2019, our county lines programme has resulted in 1,500 line closures, 7,400 arrests and more than 4,000 vulnerable people safeguarded as part of police and law enforcement action to bring those responsible to justice and protect the vulnerable.

In addition, we also provide £1m of specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement. This includes a rescue service to support the safe return home of these vulnerable young people who are identified outside their home areas in connection with county lines.

We are also continuing to fund Missing People’s SafeCall service.  This national service provides specialist advice and support to young people and a range of support options to their parents/carers who are affected by county lines exploitation.

The Government is committed to the prevention of county lines exploitation and to supporting children, young people and the most vulnerable in our society who are affected by it. On 20 January this year, we announced £40m of dedicated investment for 2021/22 to tackle drugs supply and county lines, doubling our investment from the previous year.

Since it was launched, in November 2019, our county lines programme has resulted in 1,500 line closures, 7,400 arrests and more than 4,000 vulnerable people safeguarded as part of police and law enforcement action to bring those responsible to justice and protect the vulnerable.

In addition, we also provide £1m of specialist support to under 25s from London, the West Midlands and Merseyside who are criminally exploited through county lines, to help them safely reduce and exit their involvement. This includes a rescue service to support the safe return home of these vulnerable young people who are identified outside their home areas in connection with county lines.

We are also continuing to fund Missing People’s SafeCall service.  This national service provides specialist advice and support to young people and a range of support options to their parents/carers who are affected by county lines exploitation.