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Child Poverty Bill

My noble friend Lady Hollis asked specifically about academies and whether they have a three-year pass on responsibilities for looked-after children. I cannot answer that question. It would be a bit grim if that were the case, but I will certainly find out and get back to my noble friend. Local academies normally do really good work, but I want to understand if that is the case. A number of noble Lords focused particularly on resources and the role of local authorities. The noble Lord, Lord Martin, gave us the benefit of his experience in Glasgow and picked up on the issue of the different approaches taken by local authorities. The framework within the Bill for local authority needs assessments and the necessity to work with partners will be one route towards achieving a better focus. The noble Lord, Lord Freud, asked about the cost benefits of this approach. I am sure he will understand that it is difficult to establish the costs and benefits of increasing financial support for particular families when a number of them enter into purely private arrangements and may not come to the attention of the local authority unless the child is in need. However, I think we would agree that in terms of investment in prevention and tackling child poverty, whatever the timeframe of the benefits, they are always a good investment.