HC Deb 03 November 1989 vol 159 cc381-2W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the special programmes for social workers that include training in handling specific cases of child abuse.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Government introduced this year the training support programme (child care), which makes available to local authorities grants of 70 per cent, in support of expenditure of £10 million on training for social services staff working in the child care field.

Within the programme authorities were asked to give particular emphasis to training for staff handling child abuse and child sexual abuse. The programme will continue in the next financial year.

Mrs. Dun woody

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the definition of child abuse used by his Department.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department's guidance "Working Together" (1988), copies of which are available in the Library, describes child abuse as harm to children by parents, relatives, carers, acquaintances or strangers. Paragraph 5.31 of the guidance details definitions of neglect, physical abuse, emotional and sexual abuse. It states that these categories are not necessarily exhaustive nor mutually exclusive; and that all are encompassed within the term "child abuse".

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what facilities are available for child abusers under the age of 12 years.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Child abusers under the age of 12 years are eligible for the full range of assessment, treatment and support services provided by local authority social services departments and health authorities. These may include for example placement in residential or foster care, including secure accommodation where appropriate, or provision of psychological and psychiatric services.

Mr. Patchett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in South Yorkshire are currently on the child abuse register.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Child protection registers record those children who are the subject of an inter-agency plan for the protection of the child. The most recent published information about children and young persons on child protection registers is contained in "Survey of Children and Young Persons on Child Protection Registers Year Ended 31 March 1988". Copies are available in the Library.