Orders of the Day — Clause 1. — (Duty of local authority to provide for orphans, deserted children, etc.)

– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 June 1948.

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Photo of Mr Kenneth Younger Mr Kenneth Younger , Grimsby 12:00, 28 June 1948

I beg to move in page 2, line 21, to leave out from "that," to end of line 22, and to insert: the care of the child is taken over either—

  1. (a) by a parent or guardian of his, or
  2. (b) by a relative or friend of his, being, where possible, a person of the same religious persuasion as the child or who gives an undertaking that the child will be brought up in that religious persuasion."
Subsection (3) of the Clause puts a duty on the local authority where it would be for the welfare of the child to try to get the care of the child taken over by a parent, guardian, relative or friend. The Amendment provides that any such relative or friend should, where possible, be a person of the same religious persuasion as the child, or one who gives an undertaking that the child will be brought up in that religious persuasion. This will meet the wishes expressed in Committee.

Photo of Commander Thomas Galbraith Commander Thomas Galbraith , Glasgow Pollok

The Amendment meets the feelings expressed by hon. Members and particularly the hon. Member for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon) during the Committee stage. We have not much doubt about the intentions of the Home Secretary in regard to this matter, but we are glad to see that those intentions are to be stated clearly in the Bill.

Amendment agreed to.