Children and Social Work Bill [Lords]

If the hon. Gentleman will forgive me, I would just like to explain some of the tenets of the Bil...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

If my hon. Friend will forgive me, may I make a little more progress, and then I will come back t...

rose—

I now give way to the hon. Gentleman.

I am extremely grateful to the Minister. I was trying to tell him that I have to speak in a Deleg...

Yes, of course. My hon. Friend the Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families is very keen to ...

In Oxfordshire we have had a situation where children in care have been abused, and that has led ...

The local safeguarding arrangements set out in the Bill will provide a strong statutory framework...

rose—

I will give way to my hon. Friend and am sorry that I did not do so earlier.

The Minister will be aware that this is not the original Bill, thanks to the good work of the Hou...

I listened carefully to my hon. Friend, who will be aware, of course, that Eileen Munro, whom he ...

My hon. Friend says that it is not about taking rights away from children, but one of the scenari...

This is not about abolishing any statutory responsibilities. My hon. Friend should wait to see th...

Chapter 2 covers other provisions relating to children, so we are talking about the rights of the...

I know that that issue has been discussed and I am sure that my hon. Friend the Minister for Vuln...

Will the Minister give way?

If the right hon. Gentleman will forgive me, I am coming to the concluding elements of my comment...

On that point, will the Minister give way?

I will not give way to the right hon. Gentleman because he was not here at the beginning of my sp...

We welcome any attempt to improve the lives of children in care, and I am sure that aim is shared...

In my conversations with Hull City Council’s children’s services department, it talks to me about...

My hon. Friend makes a significant point. Local authorities in the north-west, such as mine, have...

My hon. Friend is doing a very good job of putting forward the case that exists in the country. I...

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Most people who work in the profession believe that pri...

The Bill is a very good one. It has been amended in the House of Lords, and we will need to consi...

I am delighted that the hon. Gentleman has raised that point. May I ask him to back Labour amendm...

To an extent, that will depend on what the amendments are, and whether the Government make it cle...

I am aware that very few clauses in the Bill affect Scotland but, as a member of the Education Co...

I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

I...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the challenges facing social workers are particularly intense ...

Social workers are certainly under a huge amount of pressure, but that initiative-itis has, to an...

The hon. Gentleman is being extremely generous in giving way a second time. Does he agree that mu...

Funding is, of course, part of this, but we can do a lot better with existing funds, although the...

Does the hon. Gentleman share my concern that although many younger children are being adopted, i...

The hon. Lady is right about that, but shiny, squeaky new babies have always been much more attra...

Obviously, the primary focus and concern is the duty of care to children, but there is also the i...

My hon. Friend, who has great expertise in this area, is right. Of course we cannot look at vulne...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Yes—I am delighted I am getting a response.

I can reassure my hon. Friend that the new Social Work England regulatory body will not be an exe...

I am grateful, and gratefully reassured, and I look forward to being able to support that provisi...

It is a true pleasure to follow the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) and...

The hon. Lady has prayed in aid the Home Affairs Committee. I think that she is referring to the ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, but I hope that we will be able to change his mind d...

I congratulate my hon. Friend on her outstanding work on unaccompanied asylum seekers, who are of...

My hon. Friend raises an incredibly important point. Counselling should be part of the safeguardi...

I was with the hon. Lady on the Dubs II amendment. Perhaps the link with her proposed amendments ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that point. I agree with much of what he has said about the differ...

It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy) and to have hear...

I am closely following what my right hon. Friend is saying and agree with much of it. As is the w...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Expertise is necessary when it comes to teaching those subjec...

The right hon. Lady will know that I completely agree with everything that she is saying. May I h...

I thank the hon. Lady for her helpful intervention.

We sometimes worry about raising the is...

I am pleased to follow my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mrs Miller). I very much ...

It was my choice to be last today, so I am very pleased to be speaking now. It is a great honour ...

As we have already said, we will not be dividing the House on this Bill this evening. However, I ...

I begin by thanking hon. Members for their enthusiastic engagement with the issues at the heart o...

Does the Minister acknowledge that that guidance explicitly sets out nationality before the best ...

I am happy to do that. Like the hon. Lady, I do not want to create conditions that are counterpro...