Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Countess of Mar (Crossbench). It was answered on Thursday, 8 June 2006.

Children Act: Information-Sharing

Question: My Lords, although we all accept that some children who are ill need special treatment from social services and should be on the register, can the Minister give the House a guarantee that sick children will not be removed from their parents as a result of being falsely labelled with Munchausen syndrome by proxy or fabricated-illness ideation because the children are ill when their mothers—it is generally their mothers—have not caused that illness? We have hundreds of parents on this register with the Munchausen syndrome by proxy label who have not injured their children, on the whole.

Answer: My Lords, proper procedures have to be followed. I am not familiar with the details of the case cited by the noble Countess, but I will write to her about it.

Secondary information