A severe lack of data on missing children in Wales is holding back policy responses and hindering efforts to help young people, a committee warned.

Buffy Williams, who chairs the Senedd’s education committee, raised concerns about the lack of an accurate source of Welsh data that records all episodes of missing children.

“In turn, this means we don’t have the right policy responses,” said Ms Williams, explaining that data is collected for those who go missing from care but not other children.

The Labour MS said: “The majority of evidence we’ve heard is there’s a severe lack of data … hampering efforts to ensure the correct procedures are in place to support children.”

Dawn Bowden, Wales’ social care and children minister said the Welsh Government is “delivering a huge transformation programme for children’s services” and acknowledged far too many children are taken into care in Wales as she pledged to focus on prevention and keep families together wherever possible.

She told the committee data is collected by the Welsh Government, councils, Care Inspectorate Wales, police and the Home Office.

Taryn Stephens, deputy director for social services improvement, added that wider data – beyond looked-after children – will be available in the next children’s census.