Written statement on Machinery of Government - Mar 24

Prime Minister (Boris Johnson): I am making this statement to bring to the House’s attention the following Machinery of Government change.

From the post-war period through to 1970, approximately 3,500 British children in care were sent abroad to former British colonies. Governmental responsibility for these children, who are now aged between 60-90, has been held by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). The department provides funding for the work of the Child Migrants Trust, which manages applications to the Family Restoration Fund, and also applications to the ex-gratia payments scheme that was set up for former child migrants to apply.

Responsibility for matters relating to these British children in care who were being sent abroad up until 1970, funding for the Child Migrants Trust, and the operation of the Family Restoration Fund, will transfer from DHSC to the Department for Education (DfE) from 1 April 2022. This will bring together ownership of policy responsibility for former British children in care who were sent abroad by the state with DfE’s existing responsibility for children’s social care.