Child Care Workers

HC Deb 29 October 2002 vol 391 c736W

Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary for Health what steps he has taken to improve the vetting of child care workers. [75369]

Jacqui Smith

The Government are committed to improving safeguards for children. They have enacted a raft of new legislation over the last few years, including the Protection of Children Act 1999, the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 and the Care Standards Act 2000. Together these initiatives establish a coherent cross-sector scheme for identifying those people considered to be unsuitable to work with children. They also ensure that when such people have been identified they are prevented from gaining access to children through their work.