Clause 7 - Risk assessments
Children and Adoption Bill [Lords]
10:45 am
Mark Williams (Shadow Minister, Education & Skills; Ceredigion, Liberal Democrat)
That is debatable.
My hon. Friend has left me holding the proverbial baby, which is not without risk itself, so we will wait to see what happens.
A poor risk assessment could be much worse than none at all. While I understand the sincere motives of the hon. Member for Basingstoke in attempting to define so tightly the situations in which a risk assessment is produced, we run the risk of placing too heavy a set of constraints on those charged with undertaking them, as the hon. Member for Stockport outlined.
I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say on cause or reasonable grounds, but by any stretch of the imagination it is a hardening of the language, which would make it more difficult for CAFCASS to undertake such risk assessments. Although I support amendment No. 36, tabled by the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney), I feel strongly that it should be for the trade officer to assess whether there is a risk. I see no justification for accepting amendment No. 45.