Keeping Parliamentarians Informed:
The Great Green Paper Debate
Consulting about the key themes of Every Child Matters

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC) will be focusing on the Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’ (Cm 5860) and the accompanying Home Office consultation ‘Youth Justice – the next steps’ through a series of seven meetings to allow the Group to discuss the Government’s proposals. (Both documents can be found at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/everychildmatters)

The minutes of the seven meetings will be used as the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children’s submission to the ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Youth Justice – the next steps’ consultations.

The first meeting in the series, to be held on Monday 20 October, will provide an overview of ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Youth Justice - the next steps’. The speakers are:

• Paul Ennals, Chief Executive, National Children's Bureau; and
• Jane Held, Joint Chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Children and Families Committee, and Director of Social Services, London Borough of Camden
The presentations will be followed by questions and discussion.

The next five meetings will cover each of the five outcomes for children and young people’s well-being, listed at the beginning of the Green Paper (Para. 1.3):

• Enjoying and Achieving: Getting the most out of life and developing broad skills for adulthood (Monday 27 October)
• Economic Well-being: Overcoming socio-economic disadvantages to achieve their full potential in life (Monday 27 October)
• Being Healthy: Enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle (Monday 3 November)
• Staying Safe: Being protected from harm and neglect and growing up able to look after themselves (Monday 10 November)
• Making a positive contribution: to the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour (Monday 17 November)

At each meeting focusing on the outcomes for children and young people in the Green Paper there will be an opportunity to discuss not only the outcome itself, but whether the proposed new structural changes will make a difference for children and young people, in particular vulnerable groups, and meet the outcome measures. Briefing papers on each outcome will be distributed to the APPGC mailing list before each meeting, and will also be posted on the National Children’s Bureau website at www.ncb.org.uk/policy/appgc_list.htm

At the final meeting, on Tuesday 18 November, the Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Margaret Hodge MBE MP, will make a presentation, followed by questions and discussion. This will be a joint meeting with:

• The All Party Parliamentary Group for Youth Affairs
• The All Party Parliamentary Group for Childcare
• The Associate Parliamentary Group for Parents and Families
• The Associate Parliamentary Group for Children and Young People in and Leaving Care

Please contact Alison Linsey, Joint 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.