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Child Protection

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Children and Families (Tim Loughton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I confirmed on Thursday 10 June 2010 the Government’s decision that the overview reports of serious case reviews (SCRs), initiated on or after 10 June would be published. The Government’s aim in publishing SCR overview reports is to restore public confidence and improve transparency in the child protection system and to ensure that the context in which the events occurred is properly understood so that relevant lessons are learnt and applied as widely as possible. I also confirmed on 10 June the Government’s commitment to publishing the overview reports of both the SCRs on the case of Peter Connelly. Today the Government are fulfilling that commitment. The SCR reports have both been carefully and appropriately redacted and anonymised to protect the privacy and welfare of vulnerable children and their families. The publication of these reports is not about apportioning blame but about allowing professionals to understand fully what happens in each case and, most importantly, what needs to change in order to reduce the risk of such tragedies happening in the future. I welcome the progress that Haringey and local partners have made over the past two years. It is essential that this progress continues. I have placed a copy of both SCR overview reports in the House Library.