To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the creation of a region-wide children and families arm's-length body, as per recommendations within the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services.

This is one of 53 recommendations made by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services. Public consultation on 49 of 53 recommendations, including recommendations relating to a Children and Families Arms-length Body (ALB), closed on 1 December 2023. Work to analyse the responses to consultation is underway. It is hoped that work will be complete by mid-late March 2024. The analysis will inform my assessment of this and other Review recommendations. Decision-making relating to the creation of a new ALB would be a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.