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Dept of Health

Answer

Dr Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he plans to take to ensure that area child protection committees receive sufficient funding to discharge their responsibilities. [78022] Jacqui Smith: Area child protection committee (ACPC) expenditure and administrative and policy support is a matter for local agreement. As a multi- agency forum, the ACPC should be supported in its work by its main constituent agencies, reflecting the investment of each agency in activities which are of benefit to all, in particular inter-agency training. The Joint Chief Inspectors' report Safeguarding Children, published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Department of Health should review the current arrangements for ACPCs to determine whether they should be established on a statutory basis to ensure adequate accountability, authority and funding. The Government has welcomed the publication of this report. The Government recognises that there is still more to be done to ensure that the highest standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why it commissioned the Joint Chief Inspector's report. It is also why my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary set up the statutory inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, into the circumstances leading up to, and surrounding, the death of Victoria Climbie. The Government looks forward to receiving Lord Laming's report later this year. It will respond in full to both reports after it has had the opportunity to consider them fully.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

78022; 392 c118-9W;392 c122-3W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Children Finance Protection Offences against children Child protection committees

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk