The Child Minder

Hillingdon Council - criticised last week by the children's commissioner for allegedly offering a lesser service to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children than other children in care - took on the government at the High Court yesterday over the costs of caring for this group of children.

The council said a £6m cut in the grant it received for assisting young asylum seekers nearing adulthood had resulted in dramatic cutbacks in key services and contributed to anti-immigration sentiments locally.

The council is demanding an extra £40 per week per child to be able to provide these young people with the support they need.

The judge has promised to deliver his verdict on the case soon. But it seems obvious to me that the concerns flagged up by the children's commissioner and the massive funding cut imposed on the council are in some way connected.

The right outcome must be an obligation on the government to fund councils so they are in a position to provide an equitable service to all children in their care (without having to waste a penny more on legal challenges).