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Outrage as children’s minister dismisses 'small' number of teenage deaths in care

2 mins read Social Care
Children’s rights organisations have hit out at children’s minister Will Quince over his dismissal of the number of teenage deaths in care as “small” in a written parliamentary response.
Children's minister Will Quince has been criticised over his comments. Picture: Parliament UK
Children's minister Will Quince has been criticised over his comments. Picture: Parliament UK

The comment, which has been described as “scandalous”, was in reply to a tabled question from shadow children’s minister Helen Hayes.

Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, asked how many 16- and 17-year-olds had died after they had been placed in semi-independent or independent accommodation in the last five years.

In his reply, the minister said there had been 29 deaths of looked-after children, aged 16 to 17, in these settings but due to the “small” numbers involved, this figure could not be broken down by accommodation status, age or into separate years to protect confidentiality.

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