More than 600 child protection investigations carried out by Councils every day

NEW figures show the number of investigations carried out by Councils where a child is thought to be at risk of harm is on average over 600 every day, underlining the need for Councils to be adequately funded in next month's Autumn Budget.

There were 230,590 child protection investigations in the year to:- 31 March 2025 in England; the equivalent of 631 a day; according to Department for Education data published today.

Known as section 47 enquiries, an investigation takes place whenever a Council identifies there is a reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm.

The Local Government Association, which represents Councils, is calling on the Chancellor in the Budget to ensure that all Councils receive sufficient funding to invest long-term into family help, child protection, child in care and care leaver services.

It says Council support for children and young people is central to the Government's objective to break down barriers to opportunity for young people.

Key drivers behind the increase in children needing support include mental health concerns and domestic abuse.

The rise in investigations has also been fuelled by an increase in schools making referrals to children's social services.

It follows recent warnings by the LGA of the worsening financial pressures on Councils.

Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, despite increased levels of budgeted spend, Councils overspent annually on average by 14.2% on children's social care.

In 2025/26, planned budgets show a 10.1% rise for children's social care.

Overspending means Councils are increasingly being forced to rely on emergency measures such as in-year cuts to spend for other services and drawing on depleting reserves to balance their books, which the LGA says is not financially sustainable.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA's Children, Young People and Families Committee, said:- "What is most important is that every child gets the help and support they need, and Councils will always act when there are concerns. But these alarming figures show the increasing pressures that Councils are under to continue providing this lifeline of support. This is why we are calling on the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget to ensure that Councils are adequately resourced and funded so they can provide this vital care and support to children, young people and their families."

Major Vietnamese investment announced to boost the British Aerospace Sector

A significant investment into the British Aerospace Sector has been announced on:- 30 October 2025, following a major deal being made between a Vietnamese airline and the UK aerospace sector.

Following the Prime Minister's meeting with Vietnam's General Secretary yesterday, VietJet has announced a significant order for 100 Airbus A321neo aircraft.

The Transport Secretary visited Airbus' site in Bristol today to mark the order and see how this will allow Airbus to continue investing in research and development.

Overall, the deal supports Airbus' 79,000 strong supply chain and 12,000 employees across the country, with Airbus estimated to bring �5.3bn to the economy each year.

The wings for 100 aircraft will be manufactured at Airbus' Broughton site in North Wales, with their design developed at the company's Filton facility, showing a strong pipeline from concept to reality delivered from the UK. This programme will safeguard highly skilled jobs across both Regions, supporting delivery of the Plan for Change.

The deal comes alongside further investment from Vietjet into the UK aviation sector, with Vietjet and Rolls Royce signing a deal for 92 Trent 7000 engines to be manufactured in the UK for use in 40 A330 Neos, also set to support thousands of high skilled jobs.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:- "This landmark deal shows that British innovation continues to be at the forefront in connecting the world. By working hand-in-hand with our international partners, we are helping our aerospace sector soar, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs, boosting our economy, and delivering real benefits for working people across the UK as part of our Plan for Change."

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:- "This major investment from VietJet is a big vote of confidence in British aerospace and engineering, and will support jobs across the country to deliver our Plan for Change. Homegrown research and development is vital to our net zero ambitions, and I'm delighted that this order will encourage investment back into aviation innovation; helping us to continue as a global leader in the industry."

The Government is also supporting sectors such as:- aviation with major investments to encourage innovation, including �20.4 billion for research and development across the UK until April 2026.

Further funding to support aviation innovation was also announced over the summer, with �63 million to encourage the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and �4 million allocated to grassroots research projects trialling next-generation drone technology.

These investments have been echoed by strong industry support, with energy logistics firm Exolum recently announcing the creation of a brand-new Sustainable Aviation Fuel supply network, starting with a fuel blending facility in Portishead, just outside Bristol.

The Government is supporting airport expansion at Gatwick and Luton; where capacity upgrades have been approved; and Heathrow. The moves support the Government's growth mission and any expansion will be balanced with environmental, climate and air quality aims.

By encouraging investment that feeds back into innovation, such as:- VietJet's order, aviation can take advantage of cleaner, greener technology to reduce it's carbon footprint and expand airports responsibly.

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More than 600 child protection investigations carried out by Councils every day

Major Vietnamese investment announced to boost the British Aerospace Sector