evidence: Looked after children are defined as those in the care of their local authority (Children Scotland Act 1995). There are many reasons children may become looked after including: facing abuse or neglect at home; having disabilities that require special care; unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, or illegally trafficked into the UK; or involvement in the youth justice system. The processes by which children become looked after are summarized in Figure 2. [...] As at 31 March 2022, Scotland’s rate of children looked after was 124 per 10,000 – down from 131 in 2020-21 and the lowest this figure has been since 2006 (see Chart 7). Although this is higher than England (70 per 10,000), Wales (112 per 10,000), and Northern Ireland (82 per 10,000), UK nations operate under different legislative frameworks, and as such are not directly comparable. For further information on the comparability of national data see UK Comparability of Children's Social Services Statistics. [...] [Note 4] Northern Ireland Source from: Children's social care statistics for Northern Ireland 2021/22 | Department of Health (health-ni.gov.uk)