§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that appropriate police checks are undertaken in respect of lay assessors who have access to children's homes. [16043]
§ Mr. BowisPolice checks are generally available for those who have substantial unsupervised access to children in children's homes. Lay assessors do not fall into this category. It is the responsibility of local authorities to satisfy themselves about the suitability of people they engage as lay assessors, for example by checking CVs and taking up references.