Local MP Speaks at Children's Bill Conference

12.00.00am GMT Mon 21st Jun 2004

MP speaks about the progress of the Children's Bill

Annette Brooke, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children was invited last week to address a conference of health and social service practitioners about the progress of the Children's Bill, currently progressing through the House of Lords.

Westminster Briefings seek to provide a forum for practitioners to debate key issues with figures from within Westminster and Whitehall, giving an insight into how legislation is formed and debated. Last week's conference entitled "How can the Children's Bill deliver?" featured Annette Brooke MP (LD), Meg Munn MP (Lab) and Julie Kirkbride (Con) who were challenged on how to make the Children's Bill work.

Speaking for the Liberal Democrat Children's team, Annette Brooke MP said:

"My colleagues in the House of Lords have been very effective in forcing the Government to accept amendments to the original Bill, particularly in relation to increasing the powers and remit of the Children's Commissioner."

"On the 'Information Sharing' issues in the Bill, my colleagues and I are not convinced that the Government's proposals will improve child protection as the complexities of the database system are enormous. At the very least, the government needs to set out in more detail its plans before MPs sign up to them."

"Investment in training for social workers on data protection issues, decreasing their workload and raising the morale of the workforce are factors more likely to have visible results than a national database."

Currently, Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Cross Bench Peers are working together to force the Government to accept amendments on the Children's Bill, which it is doing slowly and reluctantly. Liaising closely with the NSPCC, National Children's Bureau, and a wide range of organisations representing the special interests of children, Members of Parliament will have the opportunity debate the issues in full after the summer recess, when the Bill arrives in the House of Commons.