§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the health authority inquiry into the discharge, supervision and later conviction for murder of Dominic McKilligan to be complete; what were the terms of reference of that inquiry; and whether those conducting that inquiry can insist on the cooperation of local authority social services departments. [98133]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Health authority has commissioned under Health Service Guidance 94/27, an inquiry into the services which Dominic McKilligan received from the National Health Service. That inquiry has an independent panel and work is underway. Although the inquiry cannot insist on the co-operation of the social services departments, information has been sought from involved local authorities. The inquiry aims to complete its work early in the new year.
The report of the inquiry will be made available to the independently chaired case review which is also being undertaken on behalf of Newcastle Area Child Protection Committee under Part 8 of "Working Together under the Children Act 1989" which has a wider remit in that it will be considering all the services involved.