HL Deb 07 June 1991 vol 529 cc847-8

11.33 a.m.

Lord Harris of Greenwichasked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, following the report of Mr Allan Levy QC, they propose to make any changes in the responsibilities of the Social Services Inspectorate.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, as the House will be aware from the statement repeated by my noble friend Lord Henley on Monday of this week, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has instructed Sir William Utting, the Chief Social Services Inspector, to undertake a special review of residential child care, concentrating particularly on questions of monitoring, control and implementation in the light of the report by Mr. Levy and Mrs. Kahan. Sir William is expected to consider, in the course of his review, whether any changes in the role and responsibilities of the Social Services Inspectorate are required. His report will be published.

Lord Harris of Greenwich

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. However, is she aware of the statement made by Sir William Utting that only a minority of resources is devoted to our formal inspectorial work? That is the current position, as I understand it. That being so, in the light of Mr. Levy's report on the scandal in Staffordshire, can it possibly be right not to have detailed inspectorial reports on all children's homes in that category and for those reports not to be published in exactly the same way as the reports of the Chief Inspector of Prisons on 15 and 16 year-olds kept in prison accommodation?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, we have introduced a number of ways to strengthen the controls and improve: the quality of training of staff and other aspects of this work, and we must wait to see their effect. As a direct result of the report, a circular has been sent to every local authority in the country requiring them to review their provision in the light of the Levy-Kahan report to ensure that no practices of the kind referred to occur in their districts, and requiring them to inform the SSI of the outcome of that review within one month.

Lord Harris of Greenwich

My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that it seems curious that Sir William Utting, who presumably is the person who decided to apply only a minority of the resources available to him to inspection work of that kind, is now the person who is being asked to pass judgment on the situation? Is it not clear that it is necessary to have an independent person to look at the work of the Social Services Inspectorate and to deal with the situation as disclosed in Staffordshire, which indicated that there had been a visit by inspectors and that they had seen absolutely nothing during their visit?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, it is unfortunate that the noble Lord should suggest that the report being prepared by Sir William Utting would not be impartial. After all, he will consult independent experts in the course of his inquiry and the report will be published. It is not a normal SSI report, in the sense that it is one that he has been asked to carry out personally.

On the other point raised by the noble Lord, the Levy-Kahan report contains no criticism whatsoever of the SSI in visiting the two Staffordshire homes in the course of what was a wider investigation which was designed to produce a descriptive report of family centres. It was not a normal inspection of a specific home, which would have been more detailed and would have included an examination of log-books, for example.

Lord Campbell of Alloway

My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware that the suggestion that there should be an independent report in no way criticises or is intended, as I understood from what the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Greenwich, said, to impugn or criticise the integrity or competence of Sir William? That is not the point. In these astonishing circumstances should there not be an independent inquiry which is seen to be independent in the same way that justice is seen to be done? That is the point. There is no personal animus about the matter.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, I am glad to have that reassurance from my noble friend, but, as I said earlier, a number of new ways have been introduced to strengthen controls and improve quality. New regulations and guidance are about to be issued. Until those things settle into place, we should not be forced into taking any other action.