To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how may and what proportion of looked after children have gone missing or away from their placement without authorisation (a) in the year ending 31 March 2020 and (b)in each of the previous four years.

The latest figures on the numbers of looked after children going missing or away from their placement in England are published in the statistical release “Children Looked after in England including adoptions 2018-19: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019”. Figures for the reporting year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in December 2020.