Clause 9 - Information databases
Children Bill [Lords]
2:30 pm
Mr Tim Loughton (Shadow Minister for Children, Family; East Worthing and Shoreham, Conservative)
I hear what the hon. Gentleman is saying. The trouble is that, in the absence of guidelines, there is no guarantee that a GP in his constituency will not operate to a set of values and thresholds that may result in his referring to child protection issues, not because he has not seen any, but because he does not think that they trigger the cause for concern criteria. A GP in my constituency might do the complete opposite.
I should like to know what steps have been taken. Surely these are key bodies in the operation of all these measures in the Bill. That is the point of amendment No. 37. We are unhappy with the cause of concern criteria, but I am trying to put in a replacement. [Interruption.] The Minister is having a bit of a fit at the moment although not at my amendment I hasten to add. We want to be constructive so that we can improve what is already there.
Finally, I want to touch on a couple of the amendments in the name of my lamented Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner). His name has cropped up rather more today than when he is present.
Amendment No. 225 would add details on the database about who provided the information. This is an interesting point. Surely there needs to be some means of checking the source and therefore the veracity of the information that is being provided and, perhaps more importantly, for that person to be held accountable if the information turns out to be inaccurate or vexatious at a later stage. Amendment No. 224 clarifies what Ministers have been saying: details of the cause for concern should not be released to anyone not otherwise entitled to access it. It would be interesting to hear who the Government think should have that access.