23 May 2023
Your request
1.How many women have been placed in an MBU (by yourselves, either under s20 or via ICO/EPO) in the last 7 years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022) from any hospital.
2.Of these women how many of them have had their babies removed from their care following the MBU placement versus how many have continued to have their babies in their care? in the last 7 years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).
3.How many women have had their babies removed from their care at birth, (via ICO/EPO or other arrangement) in the last 7 years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022) from any hospital?
Our response
- 52
- 22 children either remained or returned to the care of their parents
10 are in Local authority Care
13 children on SGO
Number of children currently in care proceedings is exempt because we are unable to provide precise figures when these are five or less due to the risk that individuals will be identified, as we are required to protect their identity under the Data Protection Act.
In such circumstances sections 40(2) and (3) of the Freedom of Information Act apply. In this case, our view is that disclosure would breach the first data protection principle.
This states that personal data should be processed fairly and lawfully. It is the fairness aspect of this principle which, in our view, would be breached by disclosure. In such circumstances section 40 confers an absolute exemption on disclosure. There is, therefore, no public interest test to apply.
3. 0