Member

If you look at the statistics, last year the number of children in England who were home-educated was about 111,000. The 15,000 children who are caring for 50 hours or more, more than 13%, are a significant proportion of home-educated children. I think that we have a moral duty to recognise the enormous help that those children are providing through no wish of their own to the care system. However, the enormous burden that is placed on them needs to be recognised, and I hope that the solution that the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Young, has found—with, I understand, the active support and engagement of the Government—will happen, because these children deserve all the help that we can give them.