Child Protection

Part of Opposition Day — [4th Allotted Day] – in the House of Commons at 8:00 pm on 3 February 2009.

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Photo of Edward Balls Edward Balls Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 8:00, 3 February 2009

In a second. My third point concerns the Opposition's call for all local safeguarding children boards to be independently chaired and for the Ofsted inspection system to be overhauled. As they know, the system is now changing with the end of annual performance assessments and the announcement by Ofsted inspectors that there will be unannounced reviews of safeguarding every year in every children's authority area. I welcome that change.

On local safeguarding children boards, we have made it clear in response to Lord Laming's recommendation that the serious case review should always be independently chaired. That is the right thing to do. There are different views, however, on the wider question of whether the local safeguarding children board should also be independently chaired. The Conservatives jumped out with a press release in November, and I understand their view, but there are other expert voices in the debate who are concerned that immediately to require independent chairs of the overall board would weaken their effectiveness and could put children at risk. That is why, despite the urging of the shadow spokesperson, I will not jump the gun. I will not jump the gun for the sake of a press release; I will wait for the views of Lord Laming on the issue, and only then will we take a view as to whether the Conservatives are right that an independent chair is the right way to go.