§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 2 April, how many visits members of his social services inspectorate made to children's homes in Clwyd(a) during the period covered by the John Jillings report and (b) thereafter. [25405]
§ Mr. HagueThe social services inspectorate for Wales—until 1989, the social work service—made 37 visits to childrens' homes in Clwyd between 1974 and 1995. The visits covered a range of matters, including premises, staffing and the homes' daily routine.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he received the amended version of the John Jillings report into child sex and physical abuse in north Wales children's homes; what further independent advice he has sought; and what further actions he proposes to take to assess its contents. [25891]
§ Mr. HagueI refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 18 April,Official Report, columns 592-93. My Department received an amended version of this report on 1 April 1996. I am seeking legal advice on a range of issues relating to this report.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning(a) the placing in the Library of the John Jillings report commissioned by Clwyd county council into child abuse, (b) its publication in a full or expurgated form and (c) the conducting of an inquiry under the terms indicated by the Welsh Office ministerial press release of 7 September 1992. [25889]
§ Mr. HagueSince 22 March 1996, there have been 15 letters to the Department calling for publication of the report of the independent panel of inquiry chaired by Mr. John Jillings. In three of these letters, parliamentary publication in some form was suggested. One further correspondent was not in favour of the report being published, but supported the holding of a public inquiry.