asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in tabular form, by police force area, such information as is available to him on the number of children under 17 years who were reported as missing in each of the past five years, and to date; and if he will make a statement.

The only information readily available is that from the Metropolitan police missing persons bureau. Their records are not comprehensive because cases are normally reported to the bureau only when the person has been missing for at least 48 hours and because other forces do not report cases to the bureau as a matter of course. However, I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the number of children aged 17 or under reported to the bureau as missing for each of the past five years was as follows: