§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the reasons that children's names are removed from the at risk register; and if he will make a statement. [16760]
366W
§ Jacqui SmithA child's name may be removed from the register if
It is judged that the child is no longer at continuing risk of significant harm requiring safeguarding by means of a child protection plan (for example, the risk of harm has been reduced by action taken through the child protection plan; the child and family's circumstances have changed; or re-assessment of the child and family indicates that a child protection plan is not necessary). Under these circumstances, only a child protection review conference can decide that registration is no longer necessary;The child and family have moved permanently to another local authority area. In such cases, the receiving local authority should convene a child protection conference within 15 days of being notified of the move, only after which event may de-registration take place in respect of the original local authority's child protection register;The child has reached 18 years of age, has died or has permanently left the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reduction in the number of children added to the at risk register between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001. [16761]
§ Jacqui SmithThe number of additions and deletions to child protection registers during the years ending 31 March 2000 and 2001 are given in the table:
Registrations to and de-registrations from child protection registers during the years ending 31 March 2000 and 2001, and children on registers at 31 March of each years England Numbers All children1 Boys Girls On the register at 31 March 2000 30,300 15,400 14,600 2001 26,800 13,700 12,900 Registrations 2000 29,300 14,500 13,900 2001 27,000 13,300 12,700 De-registrations 2000 30,500 15,300 15,100 2001 30,200 15,400 14,700 1 Includes unborn children The decrease in the number of registrations during 2000–01 (and the consequent fall in numbers on the registers at 31 March 2001) is largely due to the majority of local councils excluding temporary registrations from their figures (children who are on the register in one authority but located in another and are simultaneously on the register of both councils). The year ending 31 March 2001 was the first year in which the Department of Health has requested that only the council with the original responsibility for the child should include the child in its figures until the receiving council has held a child protection conference to determine whether the child should instead be registered by that council. There has been some element of double counting of these children in previous years.