§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the ruling of November 2001 by Mr.Justice Munby. [161933]
§ Margaret HodgeI have been asked to reply.
In R(L and others) and R(R and anon)v. Manchester City Council, Mr. Justice Munby found that Manchester City Council's policy on payment to relatives and friends as carers breached Articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
The impact of the judgment is that local authority policies need to demonstrate that payment differences relate to the child's needs or the skills of the carer or some other relevant factor that is used as a basis for an authority wide policy.