§ 15. Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the interests of children and the reduction of administrative overheads, he will introduce legislation to provide for the co-ordination of the work of the many statutory and voluntary societies and organisations concerned with the protection of children.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThe terms of reference of the Committee, which as I stated in the reply I gave on 2nd February to the hon. Members for Widnes (Mr. MacColl) and Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Skeffington), I propose to appoint, will enable the Committee to study the problem of preventing or forestalling the suffering of children through neglect in their own homes and to make recommendations for any change in the law. In the meantime, I am arranging, in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Health and Education for a survey of the existing 742 arrangements for co-ordination and, as a first step, local authorities will be asked for up-to-date particulars of the arrangements operating in each area.
§ Mr. de FreitasWhile many hon. Gentlemen will welcome that statement, may I ask the Home Secretary to speed up this, in view of the fact that in certain areas there may be as many as forty people who have not only the right but sometimes the duty to interfere in family life? Is it not right that we should take account of the recent findings of the B.M.A. and the magistrates that family welfare work has been hindered by the number of people and organisations concerned?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI am sure the hon. Gentleman would agree that this Government—and the Government of which he was a member took the same view—are of opinion that co-ordination is the better way to deal with this. As a result, many local authorities have had these co-ordinating committees, which have done good work. I entirely agree that co-ordination is most important, and I hope that the work of the local authorities will be co-ordinated.
§ Mr. BowlesWhen co-ordination takes place, for example, between the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and his own Children's Department, is the right hon. and gallant Gentleman satisfied that all the information possessed by his Department is put before him?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI am not aware of any such lack of information. If the hon. Gentleman has any information, I shall be glad if he will provide me with it.
§ 18. Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is taken, where parents or guardians have had more than one conviction for ill-treating a child, to ensure that the child suffers no further cruelty; and whether he will introduce legislation to increase from six months the maximum sentence of a magistrates' court for parents or others convicted of a second offence of cruelty against a child.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThe main remedy which the law provides is the institution of proceedings before a 743 juvenile court under Section 62 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933; if it is satisfied that the child is in need of care or protection, the court has power to make a variety of Orders, including for example, an order committing him to the care of the local authority. These and other provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, including the penalties for cruelty prescribed by Section 1, will be within the terms of reference of the Committee the proposed appointment of which I announced on 2nd February, but, as regards the powers of magistrates' courts, I should not, as at present advised, feel justified in proposing in the case of this offence the quite exceptional step of raising above six months the term of imprisonment which they have power to impose.
§ Mr. JannerIn view particularly of a recent case at Derby where a parent was accused for the second time of ill-treating his child aged three, and the magistrate declared that he wished he had the power to impose a greater penalty and described the offence as a wicked offence against a defenceless child, does not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman think that in such circumstances children should be protected? Is he aware that I am not talking about a first offence but a second offence, possibly against the same child, and that it is an extremely serious position?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI think that the hon. Gentleman is under a slight misapprehension—
§ Mr. JannerNo, I am not.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI am well aware of the case to which he is referring. It is true that magistrates can impose a sentence of only six months, but they can, if they think fit, commit an offender for trial. In the case to which the hon. Gentleman refers, the prosecution did not suggest that that should be done. From my own experience, which extends to long before I came to the Home Office, I can say that when this question was raised and examined, it was found that the powers were sufficient but often were not utilised.