HC Deb 15 February 1968 vol 758 cc1569-70
23. Mr. Judd

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will implement the proposals in the White Paper on The Child, The Family And The Young Offender; and whether he will now make a statement.

Mr. Callaghan

I am anxious to introduce legislation on this subject as soon as Parliamentary time is available, and I intend to make a statement on my proposals beforehand.

Mr. Judd

In the meantime, will my right hon. Friend accept that many of those most intimately concerned in the professions involved are anxiously awaiting an announcement, but does he agree that, on grounds of both economy and effectiveness, action along these lines is needed?

Mr. Callaghan

Yes, Sir; it is important that I should consult with a number of the interests who will be responsible for operating the proposals which I bring forward, and I intend to start that process in the near future.

Sir J. Vaughan-Morgan

Will the right hon. Gentleman's proposals include a review of the procedure by which he can recommend dismissal of staff from approved schools so as to allow a right of appeal to anyone whose dismissal has been recommended?

Mr. Callaghan

The House knows that I have made some modest changes in procedure already. I do not know that it would necessarily hinge on a White Paper of this sort, which would deal with a wider problem, but I intend to review the question of appeals as a separate issue.