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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how proposals in the Children Bill [Lords] on information exchange and proposed new systems developed by local authorities will deal with children who enter and leave the jurisdiction of England from or to other parts of the UK; and what discussions his officials have had with officials from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland on this matter. [192915] Margaret Hodge :[holding answer 25 October 2004]: Clause 12 of the Children Bill, now before Parliament, sets out proposals for databases, to be established at local, regional or national level or a combination thereof, containing information about all children in England. The databases are a tool to facilitate early intervention and help ensure effective action to meet the needs of children before a crisis develops. Practitioners working with children will be able to see who else is working with a child and if a concern about a child has been recorded. This will prompt them to get in touch with other practitioners and, together, gain a better, all- round picture of the child's needs and how they might best be met. Our intention is that children entering England from other parts of the UK will be included on the databases following their first contact with the health or education service or another children's service. Although the databases will not contain detailed case data, they will include basic identifying data and contact details of professionals who are or have recently been working with a child, and an indicator if a professional has a concern about that child and therefore wishes to be contacted by others. We recognise the desirability of having effective mechanisms for transfer of such data between the databases in England and any appropriate systems in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Clause 29 of the Children Bill contains provisions for Wales which parallel those for England. My officials will work closely with the Welsh Assembly as databases are implemented in both countries to ensure data can be transferred. Although Scotland does not yet have parallel provisions in legislation, a number of information- sharing pilots in Scottish local authority areas are under way and officials from the Scottish Executive are keeping in close touch with my officials as the proposals are developed. My officials are also in contact with officials in the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland to improve mutual understanding of the position in respective countries and will continue to develop these links as the DHSSPS develops its Strategy for Children in Need for children's services.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c31-3W; 192915

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Children Children's rights Immigration Personal records Protection Migration Emigration

Legislation

Children Bill (HL) 2003/04

Link

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