§ 22. Mrs. Virginia Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to improve the procedures for dealing with child abuse and neglect.
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§ Mr. NewtonIn my reply to my hon. Friend on 30 June, at column69, I referred to the new guidance and circular on multi-agency working which was issued in draft last year. I also referred to the special initiative to help training of professional staff. Two stages of this have started. Further projects are being considered. In my statement to the House on 9 July, at columns 526–27, announcing the inquiry at Cleveland, I referred to the preparation of practice guidelines for social workers and for nurses and of guidance for doctors on the clinical diagnosis of sexual abuse. I would expect all this work, including the guidance on inter-agency working, to be published when we have considered the report from Mrs. Justice Butler-Sloss on Cleveland.