Written questions

Children in Care

Commons · Question 28362 · Tabled 9 Sep 2026 · Department of Health and Social Care · Official record

Answered 15 Sep 2026

Question

Asked by Wera Hobhouse

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introducing a "special circumstances" policy permitting 16- and 17-year-olds with specific

Answer

Answered by Dame Diana Johnson, 15 Sep 2026

16- and 17-year-olds with specific care needs can be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), provided the service is delivering a CQC-regulated activity and does not meet the statutory definition of a children's home.We...