§ Miss Wrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what consultations he has had with the local authority associations concerning the implementation of the Child Care Act 1980; whether any timetable has been agreed for implementing further sections of the Act; and what limitations, if any, have been placed on the timetable for full implementation;
(2) which provisions of the Child Care Act 1980 have yet to be implemented; and whether any of these are provisions which can be implemented only if additional public funds are made available to local authorities.
§ Sir George YoungThe Child Care Act 1980 is a consolidating measure which came into force on 1 April 1981. The only provisions which have not yet been implemented derive from the Children Act 1975. These are:
Section 7 Guardians ad litem and reports in care proceedings. Section 20 regulations governing the reviews of children in care. Sections 64–67 transfer of parental rights and duties in relation to children in care of voluntary organisations. In my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ravensbourne (Mr. Hunt) on 15 April—[Vol. 3, c. 215]—I announced that, following consultations with the local authority associations and other representative bodies most concerned, we had decided on a timetable of implementation of all the provisions of the Children Act 1975 which had not previously been implemented and which would cost little or nothing extra. We intend to introduce sections 64–67 of the Child Care Act 1980 in phase 1 of this timetable, probably by the end of this year. Sections 7 and 20 of the Child Care Act 1980 are among those provisions of the Children Act 1975 which were identified last year by the working party on costing as having resource implications. I cannot say yet when and how it will be possible to make progress on these provisions.