Part of Children and Young Persons Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 5:15 pm on 1 July 2008.
Tim Loughton
Shadow Minister (Children)
5:15,
1 July 2008
It is a disappointment, but not a great surprise. It was a probing Amendment. The Minister and all members of the Committee have the same intention. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, particularly the extra £359 million that is being made available, and whether the provision will provide the sort of appropriate breaks that we know from our constituents are needed.
My hon. Friend the Member for Upminster was right to mention the carers of children with autistic spectrum disorder-type challenges. I would surmise that we all know of difficult Constituency cases where particular requirements are involved. As with children with physical disabilities, breaks may often involve carers looking after the child in the home. It is not necessarily a question of the child being shipped off, leading to the problems caused by a lack of familiarity with the surroundings, because the facilities that are needed are often already to be found in the home. It is a question of getting someone to come to the house in place of the carers, while they go away for a few days.
We have had a useful debate. I think that we all agree that it would be slightly churlish of me—I do not want to be accused again of being churlish by the hon. Member for Stafford—not to beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
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