asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further action he is taking to safeguard the interests of small children and babies who are subjected to deliberate injury by their parents and others.

We seek to help by promoting co-ordination between the various services concerned in order to secure the earliest diagnosis and treatment of the child first, and where possible the parents as well; by promoting research, and discussion between those concerned with the direction of these services; by disseminating new ideas; and by ensuring so far as possible that established methods are not lost sight of.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is estimated that there are about 4,600 of these cases annually in the United Kingdom? Will he therefore take steps to ensure that every case is referred to a hospital and is the subject of co-ordinated action between the general practitioner, the hospital, the social services, and the police? Although this may cause considerable expense and work, will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that many children's lives are at stake and thousands of children are being subjected to hideous cruelty?

Yes. I can give the hon. Gentleman and the House an assurance that it is the Government's intention, expressed to all those concerned, that every case should be identified and brought before the large team of disciplines and skills that are involved in constructive treatment.

What is my right hon. Friend doing to protect the interests of babies of five and six months' gestation destroyed under the Abortion Act?

My hon. Friend will, I believe, accept that though both these subjects rightly give rise to great emotion, they are separate, and call for separate treatment. I am glad that the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Cronin) raised the subject, which is not new but which the Government take with intense seriousness.

Is the Minister aware that if his own speech is accurate there have been thousands of children battered by their parents and scores of children literally killed by their parents and that therefore there have been no public inquiries where many children have been killed? Does the Minister agree that that is a great scandal? Will he ensure dint in every case where a child is killed by its parent there will be an automatic public inquiry?

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman is at all exaggerating. It may even be that hundreds are being killed by their parents each year. The complex situation behind such incidents is immense, almost intractable.

I realise that.

I know the hon. Member realises that. My fear is that inquiries in every case would choke off the very information that doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, teachers, police, magistrates and all the other disciplines need if we are to help the families and children concerned.