Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I have three good reasons for thanking the noble Lord, Lord Harrison. The first is for the opportunity to make this speech. I thought that I should end this term having listened to much about terrorism—necessary but interminable—but never having had the opportunity to talk on the subject about which I care most: that is, children. Secondly, I thank the noble Lord for reminding...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I rise with some trepidation as I must declare an interest as a board member of the National Care Standards Commission. I had hoped that the noble Lord, Lord Walton, would not be present to see this member of the quango rise to speak. I realise that the hour is late. I shall try not to repeat points raised but to talk about two issues about which I am concerned. Perhaps I may make...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, is the number of children with autistic spectrum disorder who are funded by social services authorities to attend residential schools increasing or declining? Is the number of children with profound and multiple learning disabilities who are funded by social services authorities to attend residential schools increasing or declining? Do the Government have a view on whether public...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, as someone who has worked in a local authority and a health authority area for many years, I welcome the announcement. I have a question about the timescale. The Minister said that it was not possible to give the House the timescale, which I understand. However, can he tell the House how we are to keep the morale of staff in those services at top notch with the degree of uncertainty...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, we have heard today that child protection is a complex interrelationship between parental care, listening to children, community programmes and good local authority child protection procedures. It is always easy to look at how some of these have gone wrong when a child is harmed or tragically dies, but to hold the complex package together requires the skills of well trained workers,...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I shall make a rather less erudite point. I find myself in some difficulty in that, for the first time, I am speaking mildly against extended representation for patients. I have some concerns about what is called the continuum of care. Sooner or later, we must consider the difference between patients and people in care homes in which they will live out their life. The latter are not...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I do not have a prepared speech because I came down from Leeds after a series of visits to abattoirs with the Meat Hygiene Advisory Committee to find this Prayer before the House. I declare my interest as a member of the Food Standards Agency. I have no other interest except the protection of consumers, but I have been exposed for two years to the science of BSE. In another capacity...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I am a social scientist, not a general scientist, but empirical evidence that shows that BSE is declining with the measures that we have in hand is surely a good piece of evidence.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, for introducing a topic that is so close to my own heart. As a social worker, a former director of social services, a previous director of a charity, and now a member of the board of the National Care Standards Commission, I seem to have some background in this matter. However, I am never sure why I seem to be placed at the end of...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, will the Minister reassure the House that in the 10-year plan there is adequate concern for rural communities? I am fascinated by this debate. It takes me two minutes to catch a train on the Jubilee Line to an excellent Underground system that gets me to the House in half-an-hour, whereas I have no transport at all in my home town—indeed, from one village, there is not one bus. I...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, along with my colleagues, I welcome the Adoption and Children Bill, which reflects the Government's determination to complete the overhaul of adoption services to ensure that children have successful, lasting placements with positive outcomes. The noble Baroness, Lady Barker, reminded us how complex childcare matters are. Adoption procedures are even more difficult and complex....
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I am sure that the noble Baroness, Lady David, does not really hope to end up without the Children's Rights Director in the National Care Standards Commission as a result of this debate. Here I declare an interest as the vice-chair of the commission. Whatever the debate is about a children's commissioner, I believe that there is another debate to be had. We should concentrate on...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, having heard the procedural points which have been made this afternoon, I wish to make a point about the Adoption and Children Bill as a whole. In the context of that Bill it would be difficult to discuss the future of children only in part. I defer to the great knowledge of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, but the particular clauses he identifies are extraordinarily...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I, too, support the amendment. I had not intended to speak. The noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, made the points that I would have made. My view is that joined-up government is crucial for the children concerned. As noble Lords will know, I have worked in the field for many years. When there are not just social services problems but also mental health problems, physical health problems...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I deeply wish that I could support the amendment. I speak against it merely because of my broader wish to support children in general. Adoptive children, identified as children in need, should be given the necessary support to be maintained with their families. I am reminded of the statement that 20 per cent of adoptions break down—a figure written on my heart. The reason for the...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I rise as a mere social worker in the face of cogent arguments from lawyers—particularly the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones. It is difficult to follow the arguments in detail, so I will make two simple points. The separating out of parental consent and the rights of parents to reconsider has been argued by many agencies—particularly the Family Rights Group. I would separate that...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I too support the amendment. I have listened with care to the arguments put by the Minister, whom I respect greatly. I understand her wish to change cultures, to increase training and to use other methods to achieve those ends. Despite that, I am still convinced that it is important that the amendment is accepted. I have a list of legal precedents in relation to the position in...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I find it difficult to remain seated. I acknowledge that the point the noble Baroness has just made is often the case. I did not make a speech as I felt that many noble Lords had made the points that I wished to make. I am concerned about those children who say very definitely that they do not wish to return to the abusing parent. Just before I came into the House I received a...
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I support—
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I am not forceful enough in rising. I support the amendment, which has two aspects. First, children should never be placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation alone, but with their families. When they are alone, it is clear that Section 20 should apply. I have spent a great deal of time working with homeless families and some years ago I produced a report on homeless families in...
