HC Deb 11 July 1988 vol 137 cc53-4W
Mr. Grocott

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on the training of social workers to deal with the problem of child sex abuse.

Mr. Newton

In my statement to the House on 6 July, at columns 1061–63, 1 announced a specific training grant of 70 per cent. in support of expenditure of £10 million in the child care field in 1989–90. This recognises the importance of social workers acquiring professional skills in the field of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, during qualifying training and induction processes, through in-service specialist training and external post-qualifying courses. In addition, while responsibility for training social workers lies with employers and academic institutions, we have set up, as announced on 30 October 1986 and 8 April 1987, a centrally funded interdisciplinary training initiative on child sexual abuse. Several of the projects so far established will be of benefit to social workers. Further projects are under consideration.

Mr. Franks

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the recorded statistics relating to child sex abuse reported to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

Child abuse statistics have not previously been held centrally. The NSPCC, from a sample covering areas including about 9 per cent. of the children in England and Wales, estimates that 7,119 children were added to child protection registers in England and Wales in 1987 because of child sexual abuse.

We announced on 9 July 1987 that arrangements would be made for the annual collection of national statistics on child abuse. The Department is carrying out a survey for the year ending 31 March 1988. It is planned to publish some provisional results from the survey later this year which will include the numbers on the registers recorded as cases of sexual abuse.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy when drafting guidelines on child abuse to require a full medical report with proper medical notes to be submitted before any emergency order removing a child from its parents is made.

Mr. Newton

I note my hon. Friend's suggestion, but am doubtful whether such a requirement would be either practicable or appropriate in all possible emergency situations, for example if there is an immediate risk of physical violence or if the need is to secure medical examination of the child where there is reason to believe that abuse is taking place.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will initiate a national survey into the extent and definition of child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse of children.

Mr. Newton

The Department undertook in April this year a pilot survey of all child abuse registers in England and Wales, identifying various categories of abuse including child sexual abuse. The provisional results of that survey will be available this autumn, and a regular annual return will be introduced from next year.