The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for runaway and missing children and adults is launching the inquiry amid concerns about the rising numbers of children who go missing from residential settings outside of their council area.
MPs are particularly concerned that these children are falling prey to drugs gangs and sexual exploitation.
Department for Education figures released by APPG chair Ann Coffey ahead of the inquiry show that 1,990 children went missing from out-of-area children's home placements in 2018, more than double 2015's figure of 990.
Over the same period, the number who went missing from homes inside their council area rose by 31 per cent, from 1,380 in 2015 to 1,810 in 2018.
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