Clause 5 - Further functions of the commissioner
Children's Commissioner for Wales Bill
11:45 am
Mr Win Griffiths (Bridgend, Labour)
I beg to move amendment No. 43, in page 5, line 36, at end insert—
`(2) After subsection (2) insert—
``(2A) The Commissioner shall promote understanding and awareness of the importance of the human rights of children to whom this Part applies and for this purpose he may undertake, commission, or provide financial or other assistance for—
(a) research;
(b) educational activities.''.'.
We do not need to labour the point of the amendment too strongly, because my hon. Friend the Minister's comments—especially those made in the previous debate—should reassure us that everything is being done to ensure that any statutory role for the commissioner is provided for in full. We should also be reassured that the commissioner would have a strong voice as regards other bodies that are not part of the statutory set-up for the Assembly but belong to other Government Departments.
Will my hon. Friend the Minister consider the amendment? We appreciate the broad interpretation of the commissioner's role, which allows him to do almost anything in relation to his functions, by giving advice and information, and so on. However, the commissioner's role is extended by giving the broadest possible interpretation to the Care Standards Act, and the explanatory notes state that the Bill
``encompasses all children in Wales and different sectors and services.''
The amendment would put some flesh on a substantial skeleton, by giving the commissioner the power to
``promote understanding and awareness of the importance of the human rights of children.''
In doing that, he would be able to
``undertake, commission, or provide financial or other assistance for—
(a) research;
(b) educational activities.''
That would give the commissioner a little bit extra power in his role as independent champion for children.
It is important to
``promote understanding and awareness of the importance of the human rights of children'',
because children have been seen as second class citizens, who do not have the same rights as adults, which has resulted in many problems in the treatment of children. Therefore, I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will respond positively, either by giving an undertaking that the commissioner can do those things, or by taking the amendment away and framing it in some other way that would be more within the spirit of the Bill.