HL Deb 30 March 1976 vol 369 cc996-7
Baroness VICKERS

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider asking the local authorities to keep a register of suspected cases of child abuse, to enable them to help and advise parents and to give protection to the battered child.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, this has in fact been done. In a circular issued by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in April 1974, on the need to strengthen measures to prevent, diagnose and manage cases of non-accidental injury to children, the importance of maintaining a central record of information in each area was drawn to the attention of health and local authorities in England.

Baroness VICKERS

My Lords, thank the noble Lord for that reply. Has he read the Report submitted by the Social Committee of the Council of Europe, with many recommendations including this one? Have any of the other recommendations been fulfilled? How many local authorities have actually taken action following the circular?

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, the noble Baroness confines her Question to asking whether local authorities are keeping a register of suspected cases of child abuse. I have said that the advice that they should do so has in fact been given. There are, I think, about 100 area committees which correspond with the AHAs in this country, and I think I can safely say that of the whole number only about two or three have not as yet got a record of children who may be liable to non-accidental injury.

Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONE

My Lords, can the noble Lord tell us on which tier of local authority the responsibility rests to maintain the register and what is the nature of the circulation and its contents?

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, the circulation of the circulars to which I referred has been to everybody who is likely to be involved in this particular problem, which means that it covers very many departments of the regional health authority and the area health authority as well as voluntary organisations and local authorities. It may be of interest to know that I have put a copy of the 1974 circular, as well as the one of February 1976, in the Library because it is rather extensive. Generally speaking, the register is being kept by the local authority social service under the supervision of the Director of Social Services.