This is a link to a debate in 2007. At that debate I asked a question of the minister:
Sadly the government did not act on the issue I raised. This was in 2007. I have raised this issue on a number of occasions. The procedural problem is that local authorities "mark their own homework". Because they are themselves responsible for monitoring the way in which they care for children things tend to go very wrong before anything is done to get it fixed.
I have raised this many times and would intend to continue to do this in the future.
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley) (LD): As an ex-cub scout, venture scout and assistant scout leader, I welcome the recognition of the importance of scouting in its centenary year and hope that funding follows.
The Minister will be aware that I am concerned that children are inappropriately put into care and that research demonstrates that 70 per cent. of children return to their parents when they escape from the control of the state at the age of 16. I am particularly concerned about deaths of children in care, particularly one that occurred in the Trafford local authority area earlier this year. We must ask why arbitrary bureaucratic rules prevent children in care from making toast for each other but do not allow people to prevent them from acting as youth prostitutes. Will she look into the treatment of children in care, including the activities they are allowed to be involved in?
Beverley Hughes: As an ex-Akela, I certainly agree with the hon. Gentleman about the importance of scouting.
It is very important that children in care are firmly included in the opportunities that the strategy is making available to all young people. In our White Paper, we proposed dedicated sums of money for each child in care to be spent in conjunction with them to give them access to extended activities through schools and in the community. The attributes that I talked about are particularly important for the most disadvantaged young people, many of whom end up in the care system.
Sadly the government did not act on the issue I raised. This was in 2007. I have raised this issue on a number of occasions. The procedural problem is that local authorities "mark their own homework". Because they are themselves responsible for monitoring the way in which they care for children things tend to go very wrong before anything is done to get it fixed.
I have raised this many times and would intend to continue to do this in the future.
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