http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/83Children Act 1989An Act to reform the law relating to children; to provide for local authority services for children in need and others; to amend the law with respect to children’s homes, community homes, voluntary homes and voluntary organisations; to make provision with respect to fostering, child minding and day care for young children and adoption; and for connected purposes.1989-11-16texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-08-27Expert Participation2026-09-01 Part XI Secretary of State’s Supervisory Functions and Responsibilities Research and returns of information.831The Secretary of State may conduct, or assist other persons in conducting, research into any matter connected with—ahis functions, or the functions of local authorities, under the enactments mentioned in subsection (9);aathe functions of— ithe Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel;iisafeguarding partners (within the meaning given by section 16E(3) of the Children Act 2004) in relation to local authority areas in England;iiichild death review partners (within the meaning given by section 16Q(2) of the Children Act 2004) in relation to local authority areas in England;bthe adoption of children; orcthe accommodation of children in a care home or independent hospital.2Any local authority may conduct, or assist other persons in conducting, research into any matter connected with—atheir functions under the enactments mentioned in subsection (9);aa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .bthe adoption of children; orcthe accommodation of children in a care home or independent hospital.3Every local authority shall, at such times and in such form as the Secretary of State may direct, transmit to him such particulars as he may require with respect to—athe performance by the local authority of all or any of their functions—iunder the enactments mentioned in subsection (9); oriiin connection with the accommodation of children in a care home or independent hospital; andbthe children in relation to whom the authority have exercised those functions.;...c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Every voluntary organisation shall, at such times and in such form as the Secretary of State may direct, transmit to him such particulars as he may require with respect to children accommodated by them or on their behalf.4AParticulars required to be transmitted under subsection (3) or (4) may include particulars relating to and identifying individual children.5The Secretary of State may direct an officer of the family court to transmit—ato such person as may be specified in the direction; andbat such times and in such form as he may direct,such particulars as he may require with respect to proceedings of the court which relate to children.6The Secretary of State shall in each year lay before Parliament a consolidated and classified abstract of the information transmitted to him under subsections (3) to (5).7The Secretary of State may institute research designed to provide information on which requests for information under this section may be based.8The Secretary of State shall keep under review the adequacy of the provision of child care training and for that purpose shall receive and consider any information from or representations made by—athe Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work;bsuch representatives of local authorities as appear to him to be appropriate; orcsuch other persons or organisations as appear to him to be appropriate,concerning the provision of such training.9The enactments are—athis Act;bthe Children and Young Persons Acts 1933 to 1969;csection 116 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (so far as it relates to children looked after by local authorities);caPart 1 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002;cbthe Children Act 2004;ccthe Children and Young Persons Act 2008.d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. 83 wholly in force at 14.10.1991 see s. 108(2)(3) and S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)S. 83(1)(aa) inserted (12.2.2009 for E. and 26.4.2010 for W.) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), ss. 33(2), 44; S.I. 2009/268, art. 3(1)(e); S.I. 2010/1329, art. 2(n)Words in s. 83(1)(c)(2)(c)(3)(a)(ii) substituted (1.4.2002) by 2000 c. 14, ss. 116, 122, Sch. 4 para. 14(19); S.I. 2001/4150, art. 3(3)(a) (subject to transitional provision in art. 4 of the commencing S.I. and to the amendment of art. 3 by S.I. 2002/1493, art. 6); S.I. 2002/920, art. 3(3)(b) (with art. 3(4)-(10) (subject to transitional provisions in Schs. 1-3)S. 83(4A) inserted (1.3.2005 for E. and 1.4.2006 for W.) by Children Act 2004 (c. 31), s. 54; S.I. 2005/394, art. 2(1)(h); S.I. 2006/885, art. 2(2)(e)1983 c. 20. S. 83(9)(ca)-(cc) inserted (12.2.2009 for E. and 26.4.2010 for W.) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), ss. 33(5), 44; S.I. 2009/268, art. 3(1)(e); S.I. 2010/1329, art. 2(n)S. 83(9)(d) repealed (5.10.2005) by The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/2078), art. 16, Sch. 3Words in s. 83(5) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 11 para. 108; S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(e) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)Words in s. 83(1)(aa) substituted (29.6.2018) by Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16), s. 70(2), Sch. 2 para. 8(2); S.I. 2018/497, reg. 3(s) (with reg. 11)S. 83(2)(aa) omitted (29.6.2018) by virtue of Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16), s. 70(2), Sch. 2 para. 8(3); S.I. 2018/497, reg. 3(s) (with reg. 11)S. 83(3)(c) and word omitted (29.6.2018) by virtue of Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16), s. 70(2), Sch. 2 para. 8(4); S.I. 2018/497, reg. 3(s) (with reg. 11)