§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the implementation of the Children Act 1975 and the progress that has been made in the last 12 months; and what progress he hopes to make in the next 12 months.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department recently published a report on the costs of operating the unimplemented provisions of the Children Act 1975. We are now seeking the agreement of the local authority associations to the phased introduction of all the provisions which will cost little or nothing. We hope that some will be implemented later this year and the rest within a further year or so. We also hope to begin discussions about what might be possible, in the longer run, on the provisions which do have significant additional costs.