5. State and Social Housing—Temporary Unsupervised Care of ChildrenJACINDA ARDERN (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister for ChildrenState and Social Housing—Temporary Unsupervised Care of Children5. JACINDA ARDERN (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister for Children: When was she first notified that the Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki or its predecessor CYF were placing children and younger persons in a hotel or motel for short-term care without a supervisor and what was her first action if any?Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Children): To the best of my knowledge it was on 21 April this year. My first action was to seek assurances that this decision is made with the best interests and the well-being of the young person as the paramount concern and that measures were put in place to ensure their safety and the safety of others. But the practice of using motel-type accommodation for short-term care has occurred for many years. I refer the member to the answer to written question No. 13281 in 2006 in which the then Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment the Hon Ruth Dyson told me: … I can advise that hostel and motel accommodation is used only in exceptional circumstances." In addition sometimes in exceptional situations the decision is made that it is not appropriate to have someone accompany the young person at all times.Jacinda Ardern: Has she asked for regular reporting on children in hotels motels and police cells as past Ministers like those quoted did; if not why not?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I do not need to ask; I get regular reports.Jacinda Ardern: In that case how many times has she been notified by Oranga Tamariki and previously Child Youth and Family (CYF) that children and young people have been placed in a hotel or motel because of a lack of alternatives and in some cases without supervision in the last 12 months?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: First of all if I unpick that question the member is making an assumption that children or young persons are placed in a motel or hotel or hostel because there is a lack of availability of beds. That is not the case.Aupito William Sio: That's not an assumption. That's what's happening.Hon ANNE TOLLEY: That is an assumption because as I said in my answer to the primary question the first action I took was to ensure that the well-being and best interests of the young person were the primary concern. That always has to be the primary concern.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked a very—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will ask the member to repeat the question for the benefit of the Minister.Jacinda Ardern: How many times has she been notified by Oranga Tamariki and previously CYF that children and young people have been placed in a hotel or motel in some cases without supervision in the last 12 months?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: As I have advised that member already the use of temporary accommodation is managed by a person's allocated social worker and their supervisor based on the best interests and well-being of the young person and the information is held on individual records. So it is not centrally collated so I do not have an exact number of how many times they have been used for short-term accommodation. This again is not new and I can refer the member back to answers to written questions from the Hon Ruth Dyson in 2006 and in 2007 saying exactly the same as I have answered to that member.Jacinda Ardern: I seek leave to table answers to written questions from the Hon Ruth Dyson proving that she gave—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume her seat. That information is already available to all members if they want it.Jacinda Ardern: How can she claim that children and young people are being left in hotel rooms under "exceptional circumstances" and that it is "a temporary measure" when she cannot tell the House how often it has happened despite claiming she receives reports on it?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I am not going to comment in the House on individual cases but I can assure the member that when decisions are made about where to place a young person their safety and their best interests are the top priority. There may be situations where the social worker makes the decision that direct supervision is not in the best interests of a young person and neither I as the Minister nor that member are in a position to criticise the actions and decisions of social workers who are aware of all the facts and the complex needs of young people.Jacinda Ardern: Has she included in her bill currently before Parliament a new provision allowing children and young people to be held in prison cells over and above emergency situations because she has failed to address shortages in the system that have been raised with her time and time again despite her complete lack of transparency to this House?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: There is no provision in the new bill for the proposal that the member puts but I repeat again—well I say—we have opened another 10 beds already in youth residences and the new ministry is focused on developing community-based responses for these young people. But there will still be times when it is in the best interests of a young person to be placed somewhere different from where that member thinks they should—with the attention that they should all have."