This
month’s parliamentary update looks at the appointment of
new Ministers following the General Election, new legislation,
and future meetings of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children.
Ministerial
Reshuffle
Following
the 5 May General Election, a reshuffle has taken place. Key appointments
include:
o Rt. Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister for Children and Families
to coordinate policy across Government on policies for children,
young people and families. She has particular responsibility for
under fives and childcare, the Change for Children programme,
children’s trusts, information sharing and assessment, children’s
workforce; and an overview of family and parenting policy, young
people’s issues and safeguarding issues including looked
after children.
o Maria Eagle MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children,
supporting Beverley Hughes. She has particular responsibility
for CAFCASS, domestic violence, trafficked children, young people,
children’s social care including child protection, children
in care including fostering and adoption, asylum seeking children,
and child and adolescent health.
o In the Department of Health, Caroline Flint MP (Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State) takes responsibility for public health,
including health inequalities, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, physical
activity, diet and nutrition, communicable diseases and sexual
health. Liam Byrne MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Care Services, has responsibility for children’s health,
child and adult mental health services, physical and learning
disabilities, workforce, CSCI and SCIE.
o In the Home Office, Baroness Scotland, Minister for criminal
justice and offender management has responsibility for youth justice
and domestic violence; Tony McNulty is the Minister for immigration,
citizenship and nationality; and Hazel Blears leads on crime reduction,
anti-social behaviour and community safety and active citizenship.
The Rt. Hon David Miliband, a Cabinet Minister in the Office of
the Deputy Prime Minister, is also responsible for communities.
Legislation
– the Queen’s Speech
The
State Opening of Parliament took place on 17 May with the announcement
of a packed legislative agenda of 45 Bills. Of particular interest
to those working with children and their families are:
o Asylum and Immigration Bill – takes forward elements of
the Government’s five year strategy for asylum and immigration:
Controlling our borders: making migration work for Britain.
o Child Care Bill – This provides for the implementation
of the 10-year strategy for childcare, and will give a new duty
for local authorities to secure sufficient childcare (England
and Wales), and provide a new regulatory and inspection framework
for childcare and early education (England only).
o Education Bill – This Bill will take forward the proposals
in the School Transport Bill that fell before the General Election
and measures from the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper.
It will also allow primary schools to become foundation schools
through a vote of their governing body, and give greater powers
to Ofsted and local authorities to tackle school failure and underperformance.
o Health Improvement and Protection Bill – Banning smoking
in enclosed public spaces and workplaces; and allowing fully qualified
technicians to dispense drugs without the pharmacist being present.
o Parental Rights Bill – Extends Statutory Maternity Pay,
Maternity Allowance and Statutory Adoption Pay; provides for the
mother to be able to transfer some of this leave and pay to the
father; and extends the right to request flexible hours of working
to other groups with caring responsibilities.
o Protecting Vulnerable Groups Bill – This takes forward
the Bichard Inquiry recommendation to establish a registration
scheme to prevent those who are deemed unsuitable from working
with children and adults in either a paid or unpaid capacity.
There will be two new barring lists, one for children and one
for vulnerable adults to replace the three existing lists (education,
children and vulnerable adults). There will also be changes to
the role of the Criminal Records Bureau, and a requirement for
mandatory checks for some employees.
o Violent Crime Reduction Bill – Raises the age for buying
knives from 16 to 18; restricts the sale of imitation forearms
to those over 18; allows headteachers to search pupils for knives;
gives a power to community groups and parish councils to apply
for anti-social behaviour orders; provides for a new aggravated
offence of using children or other innocent parties to hide guns
or knives.
Bills
to be reintroduced, having fallen before the General Election,
include:
o Child Contact and Inter-Country Adoption Bill – Implementing
some of the proposals from the Green Paper Parental Separation:
Children’s Needs and Parents’ Responsibilities.
o Equality Bill – To establish a Commission for Equality
and Human Rights.
o Identity Cards Bill – Establishing a National Identity
Register for all those over 16, although this age may be reduced
or raised through secondary legislation.
o Mental Health Bill – A Bill proper is to be introduced
following the pre-legislative scrutiny of Draft Mental Health
Bills in 2002 and 2004.
o Road Safety Bill – Contains provisions to improve road
safety, reduce road casualties and better enforce road traffic
law.
Other
Bills that have a wider impact on the voluntary sector are the
Charities Bill, the National Lottery Bill and the Compensation
Bill. The Charities Bill fell before the General Election. However,
Labour made a manifesto commitment to bring it back, and it was
introduced in the House of Lords on 18 May. The Bill modernises
the definition of charity, reforms the Charity Commission’s
constitution, governance and powers; and raises the registration
threshold for small charities. The National Lottery Bill is also
being reintroduced from the last Parliament, and establishes the
Big Lottery Fund to replace the three existing distributors. The
Government is also taking forward a wide programme of work on
the compensation culture, and may legislate through a Compensation
Bill to, for example, clarify the common law on negligence to
ensure there is no liability for incidents that could not be avoided
by taking reasonable care or exercising reasonable skill.
All
Party Parliamentary Group for Children
The
first meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children
(APPGC) in the new Parliament was held on 23 May, focusing on
children and young people who display sexually harmful behaviour.
Future meetings are likely to look at CAFCASS, teenage pregnancy,
and follow some of the legislation outlined above.
Please
contact Alison Linsey, Clerk to the Group (email: alinsey@ncb.org.uk):
•
To be added to the email mailing list to receive minutes and
notices of meetings
• For copies of minutes from any of the meetings
• For a free copy of the Group’s report ‘Commitment
to Children’
• For any further information about the Group
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