Clause 8
Children and Young Persons Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families; Minister for the North West), Department for Children, Schools and Families; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
I had almost come to the end of my comments on amendment No. 4. I was explaining how it would narrow the well-being duty to a focus solely on safeguarding. We had an interchange about whether the phrase “having regard to” diluted the responsibilities under the duty. I shall clarify that for the Committee.
At the time, I did not have a copy of the Children Act 2004 with me, only a copy of the Children Act 1989, or I would have realised that subsection (5), in referring to sections 10(2)(a) to (e) of the 2004 Act, simply refers to the five elements of Every Child Matters, which I mentioned in my earlier remarks. That adds weight to my argument that the clause contains an unequivocal duty reflecting the five outcomes of Every Child Matters as enshrined in legislation.