In a debate which examined young runaways and their risk of being sexually exploited, Tim Loughton said data on children who go missing from care or home is not collected centrally so local authorities and police forces must work together to identify the number of young runaways and missing children in their area.
He said that part of the problem with cases of sexual exploitation is that it is not treated seriously enough in some areas.
"Part of the difficulty is lack of recognition of the problem, so that it is not a priority in certain areas. That must stop," he said. "It is important that every local authority and every local safeguarding children board in town and country assumes that sexual exploitation is a problem in their area and that they take action to address it."
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