Written questions by McMurdock.

How many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were supported by local authorities in each financial year since 2019-20.

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) supported by local authorities. Local authorities have a duty to provide services to all children in need in their area. Under section 20(1) of the Children Act 1989, when a local authority has accommodated an unaccompanied child for 24 hours, they become 'looked after'. An unaccompanied child is entitled to the same support as any other looked after child, regardless of their immigration status. The Department for Education publishes annual data on the number of UASC looked after by local authorities in England here -Children looked after in England including adoptions - reporting year 2025

What assessment she has made of the sustainability of current funding arrangements for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Support for looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. The primary source of funding for local authority children's social care is through the Local Government Funding Settlement (and Devolved equivalents).In addition to the funding for children's social care that local authorities receive through the Local Government Finance Settlement, and equivalent finance arrangements which apply to the Devolved Governments, the Home Office provides additional funding contributions to support local authorities in meeting the costs incurred looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to promote media literacy among child users.

Supporting parents and children is central to our media literacy approach. On 10 February, DSIT launched a pilot media literacy communications campaign to give parents tools to help children build resilience and critical thinking skills online. A new Online Safety hub, developed with DfE, will provide everyone in the UK with clear guidance on media literacy and online safety.Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has a media literacy strategy that prioritises support for children and families, especially those with additional needs.In formal education, the Department for Education has committed to strengthening media literacy in the updated national curriculum.

What assessment she has made of the role of media literacy in helping children identify misleading or harmful online content.

Media literacy is currently covered in the citizenship, relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and computing curricula.Following publication of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November 2025, vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy relevant to identify misleading or harmful online content will be embedded into the revised curriculum from 2028.The department will engage with sector experts in working out how best to reflect this in the updated curriculum. There will be public consultation on the updated curriculum programmes of study, to seek views on the content before they are finalised.

What the average cost per unaccompanied asylum-seeking child to local authorities was in the 2024-25 financial year.

Support for looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. The primary source of funding for local authority children's social care is through the Local Government Funding Settlement (and Devolved equivalents).In addition to the funding for children's social care that local authorities receive through the Local Government Finance Settlement, and equivalent finance arrangements which apply to the Devolved Governments, the Home Office provides additional funding contributions to support local authorities in meeting the costs incurred looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with Ofcom on improving media literacy among parents and children.

The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy, including by raising awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups. The Secretary of State maintains regular, constructive engagement with Ofcom on delivery of its obligations.Both Ofcom and DSIT are taking steps to improve media literacy among parents and carers and are working closely to ensure our approaches are complementary.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of children under the age of 13 having personal social media profiles including public profile pictures on their safety.

To help companies comply with their duties under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom published guidance on the risks of illegal content and content to children as part of the Illegal Content Codes and Protection of Children Codes. The guidance notes the risks associated with children’s public profiles, such as abusive and hateful content, and the impact on different age groups. Service must refer to this guidance when implementing measures to protect children online.We are launching a consultation to gather evidence to understand how best we can build on these provisions to ensure children have positive, enriched digital lives.

Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment she has made of trends in the level of online harm experienced by (a) girls and (b) boys.

Making the online environment a safer place for children is a priority for this government.The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children from harmful and age-inappropriate content as well as proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls, including intimate image abuse.Ofcom has published guidance outlining steps services can take to make their platforms safer for women and girls online.We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the Act, the government announced a consultation and national conversation to understand how best we can build on these provisions to ensure children have positive, enriched digital lives.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of 3-5 year old children owning personal mobile devices and the implications for online safety.

Ofcom reported in 2025 that 17% of 3-5-year-olds have a smartphone. The Online Safety Act protects all children in UK Under the Act, services must protect children from illegal and age-inappropriate online content and conduct children’s risk assessments that consider age-specific risksWe recognise parents’ concerns about young children using devices. The Department for Education is developing screen time guidance for children under 5 which will be available in April. This will help parents understand how long their children should look at screens and alternative activities that are available.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to question 109756 on 4 February 2026, for what reason he will not publish the representations received.

On 23 February, the Secretary of State has now provided an update to the House on local elections: WMS HCWS1349.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides guidance to parents on the use of smartphones and internet-enabled devices by children of pre-school age.

The Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care are jointly working to produce and publish new practical, evidence informed guidance for parents on screentime for early years (0-5) by April 2026.An expert group of child health and development specialists has been convened to shape the guidance, which will also be informed by the perspectives of parents and carers. Details on the work of the group, including its membership can be found here.The group recently launched a call for evidence asking for evidence that will inform the development of new parental guidance on screen time and usage for early years (0 to 5-year-old) children. More information on the call for evidence can be found here.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the leader of Kent County Council on the potential impact of delays in asylum decision-making contribute on local authority social care costs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce the concentration of asylum-related social care costs in a small number of local authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish regular forecasts of asylum-related social care costs incurred by local authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Whether her Department plans to fully reimburse local authorities for the costs of providing social care to asylum seekers.

The Home Office provides funding to local authorities, to assist with eligible expenditure costs of supporting asylum seekers in asylum accommodation in their areas, through the asylum dispersal grant. Expenditure for the funding may include, but not be limited to, social care costs. However, individual local authorities are free to determine how best to utilise the funding provided as long as they can demonstrate it has been used to support asylum seekers in their areas.Full details of the grant can be found here - Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.

What steps she is taking to reduce the long-term reliance of asylum seekers on local authority social care services.

The Home Office provides funding to local authorities, to assist with eligible expenditure costs of supporting asylum seekers in asylum accommodation in their areas, through the asylum dispersal grant. Expenditure for the funding may include, but not be limited to, social care costs. However, individual local authorities are free to determine how best to utilise the funding provided as long as they can demonstrate it has been used to support asylum seekers in their areas.Full details of the grant can be found here - Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of asylum-related social care costs on (a) council tax levels and (b) core service provision.

The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and resources. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities. Local authorities report revenue expenditure and financing through the following data collection, which is publicly available and includes data from each financial year since 2019-20: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of local authority spending on asylum-related social care was reimbursed by central government in each financial year since 2019-20.

The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and resources. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities. Local authorities report revenue expenditure and financing through the following data collection, which is publicly available and includes data from each financial year since 2019-20: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, over what time period the £11 billion lending commitment will be made available to businesses.

The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to export is not restricted to this lending package. The £11 billion commitment represents new lending, and does not included facilities extended before the announcement Businesses can apply for a lending facility directly with the participant banks. They can start by speaking to their high street lender or their local Export Finance Manager (EFM). The EFMs are UKEF’s regional representatives who provide local points of contact for exporters and businesses with export potential. Contact details for the EFMs around the whole of the UK can be found at: Find an Export Finance Manager - GOV.UK. Repayment of the loans will be managed by the respective banks, applying their regular criteria and processes. UKEF has robust legal agreements in place which set requirements regarding monitoring of potential defaults and making relevant recoveries.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, whether the £11 billion lending commitment represents new lending or includes existing lending facilities repackaged under this agreement.

The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to export is not restricted to this lending package. The £11 billion commitment represents new lending, and does not included facilities extended before the announcement Businesses can apply for a lending facility directly with the participant banks. They can start by speaking to their high street lender or their local Export Finance Manager (EFM). The EFMs are UKEF’s regional representatives who provide local points of contact for exporters and businesses with export potential. Contact details for the EFMs around the whole of the UK can be found at: Find an Export Finance Manager - GOV.UK. Repayment of the loans will be managed by the respective banks, applying their regular criteria and processes. UKEF has robust legal agreements in place which set requirements regarding monitoring of potential defaults and making relevant recoveries.