To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the Children Commissioner’s recommendations from the report Police Powers and Children – Strip Searching and Use of Force, published on 22 April 2026 have been implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring police forces to have custody healthcare practitioners conduct child strip searches rather than police officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to ensure that children are only strip searched where there is an immediate risk of significant harm.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to help ensure that all police use of force against children is limited to cases preventing significant harm to themselves or others, rather than to detain children for the purposes of a search.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring police forces to 1) inform the child’s legal parent or guardian prior to the strip search taking place, and 2) ensure that the parent or guardian is present to witness the strip search.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish data on a) multiple strip searches, b) the outcome, c) the reason, d) whether the outcome is linked, e) whether an officer of the opposite gender was present, and f) the search location for child strip searches, following the Children’s Commissioner’s 2026 report recommendation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring police forces to conduct all child strip searches at police stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Minister for Women and Equalities regarding plans to end the use of strip search powers against minors.

The Government welcomes the Children’s Commissioner’s report, Police powers and children – strip searching and use of force, and takes its recommendations seriously.

Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police and its use must be lawful, fair, respectful and without unlawful discrimination. We recognise that any strip search of a child can be traumatic, particularly where safeguards are not followed, and that the welfare and safeguarding of children must remain paramount. There will, however, be occasions where a strip search is necessary to prevent or detect crime, or to protect the individual, police officers or the public.

The report highlights progress, including reductions in the number of strip searches of children and improvements in data transparency, but also raises important concerns about the consistent application of safeguards, repeat searches, racial disproportionality and the use of force.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on strip searches in police custody and strip searches following stop and search as part of the Police Powers and Procedures statistical series: [Police powers and procedures England and Wales. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales).

The Government is carefully considering the Children’s Commissioner’s findings and recommendations. We are taking forward work to strengthen safeguards for children and vulnerable people, improve accountability and oversight, and provide greater clarity and consistency for police. This work is being progressed with relevant partners across Government and policing as part of wider consideration of the legal, operational and safeguarding framework for police search powers. We will continue to engage with the Children’s Commissioner, policing partners and other stakeholders as this work progresses.