§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations have taken place with local authority associations about the implementation of the Children Bill as promised in Circular 10/75; and what cuts are envisaged.
§ Dr. OwenGood progress has been made and a substantial measure of agreement reached in discussions between myself and representatives of the associations on a programme for the first phase of implementation covering the financial year 1976–77. This takes full account of their assessment of the financial and human resources that will be required. The associations have shown a strong commitment to do all they can, within the resources available to them, to implement the Bill, and they share the Government's view of the relative importance of the various provisions.
Obviously the timetable has been dictated by the necessity to contain expenditure, though there are many sections of the Bill which do not carry any financial commitment. Discussions are continuing on the detailed timetable and future decisions will depend on the resource outlook 48W in the summer of 1976 for the financial year 1977–78.
It will take local authorities at least a full year to prepare for the statutory requirement to provide a comprehensive adoption service and quite probably a further period before the necessary high standards are achieved to justify bringing in some sections of the legislation. I have repeatedly stressed that implementation must be matched by the necessary resources and refused to implement without adequate financial and human resources since this would only bring the legislation itself into disrepute.