PRIVATELY FOSTERED CHILDREN (Hansard, 23 October 1989)

§ Mr. Mellor
I beg to move amendment No. 325, in page 118, line 10, leave out from 'any' to 'is', in line 11, and insert—

'(i) parent of his;

(ii) person who is not a parent of his but who has parental responsibility for him; or

(iii) person who is a relative of his and who has assumed responsibility for his care,'.

§ Mr. Speaker
With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments Nos. 207 to 209, 412, 210, 211, 327, 212, 219, 386 and 387.

§ Mr. Mellor
The effect of these amendments is to tidy up and improve the powers of local authorities to safeguard the welfare of children who are privately placed with foster parents, that is where the decision to place and choice of foster parents have been made by a child's natural parents.
A number of the amendments provide typographical corrections and bring terminology into line with the rest of the Bill and introduce other technical amendments.
The amendments of substance reflect our further consideration of those measures in the light of representations from hon. Members, local authorities and other bodies, such as the Save the Children Fund, concerned with the welfare of those children. Local authorities' powers are extended by giving them the power to prohibit any private fostering placement where the foster parent or the accommodation is unsuitable, or where the placement is prejudicial to the child's welfare. I stress that, because some right hon. and hon. Members will have heard, as I did in the early hours of this morning while I was wallowing in my bath, an interview in which the regulations governing these placements were discussed.
4.30 pm
I am glad to make it clear that local authorities' powers are to be extended to give them the power to prohibit any private fostering placement where the parent or the 499 accommodation is unsuitable or the placement is prejudicial to the child's welfare. Previously, that power applied only where the local authority had not been properly notified of the placement. On reflection, that appeared to be too restrictive. Even where a placement has at first been deemed suitable by an authority, circumstances may change and the authority should be able to act to safeguard the child. There are important changes in the regulation-making power in respect of notification of fostering arrangements.
It is now clearly stated, for the avoidance of doubt, that parents and those with parental responsibility can be required to give the appropriate authority prior notice of a proposed fostering arrangement, subject only to the proviso that they are aware the child is to be fostered. That will be an important element of the regulations that we intend to make in accordance with those powers. Prior notice of a proposed placement is vital to enable authorities to investigate in advance the suitability of the proposed foster parents and placement.
It is essential that the authorities should be able to contact the child's parents. There are sad examples of parents who have behaved in an irresponsible manner by failing to keep in touch with their children or with foster parents. We shall also now be able to require foster parents to give notice when a person leaves or joins their household. That will be an additional safeguard against a privately fostered child being exposed to risks in a replacement.
There are particular anxieties about the welfare of west African children placed by their parents with white foster parents with insufficient regard to the children's race and culture.
We expect authorities, as part of their pre-placement inquiries and duty, to give advice to foster parents on the children's needs arising from their racial origin and cultural background.
That issue rightly arouses anxiety in hon. Members on both sides of the House. I am particularly grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) for putting forward the points that I have mentioned most eloquently in Committee. I hope that my comments this afternoon will be of some comfort to him.

§ Mr. Andrew Rowe (Mid-Kent)
I thank my hon. and learned Friend for taking such care to say that the number of west African children coming to this country and being placed with foster parents while their parents return to west Africa is still a cause for anxiety. Do I understand that one of the elements that will be considered when a placement is regarded as prejudicial to the child's welfare is the cultural background of that child? I am sure that that is what he meant.

§ Mr. Mellor
That is certainly what I meant.