Mr. Browne responds to questions from Ms. Keeble and other members of parliament about child trafficking. He outlines the UK government's strategy to combat trafficking, which includes working with social services, both domestic and international, to protect children and ensure their welfare is assessed. However, he acknowledges more work remains to be done, including improving cooperation with other countries on issues like safely returning trafficked children to their home communities.
The document discusses the history of efforts to ban child labor in the United States from the late 19th century to the 1930s. It provides context on why child labor was prevalent and perspectives on banning it. It notes that children had always worked historically. The first organized efforts against child labor began in the early 1900s with groups like the National Child Labor Committee. Key laws and acts that were passed include the Keating Owen Act of 1916, the failed Child Labor Amendment of 1924, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which placed limitations on child labor. The document discusses debates around certain exemptions and differing views on children's work and rights.
The document discusses laws around sexual content and social media. It provides scenarios to analyze whether certain behaviors involving sexual images and sexting are legal or illegal. The scenarios demonstrate that creating, sharing, or possessing sexual images of those under 18 breaks child pornography laws and can result in criminal charges. Sexting is defined as the exchange of sexual messages or images, which young people sometimes view as normal but can have serious legal and emotional consequences.
This document provides an executive summary of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness for 2010. The plan sets forth four key goals: 1) End chronic homelessness in 5 years; 2) Prevent and end homelessness among veterans in 5 years; 3) Prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and children in 10 years; and 4) Set a path to ending all homelessness. The plan is a collaborative effort between 19 federal agencies to better align housing, health, education, and human services programs to prevent homelessness. It identifies 10 objectives and 52 strategies to accomplish the goals, focusing on increasing housing, economic opportunities, health/stability, and improving the homeless crisis response system.
The sources discuss cyberbullying from different perspectives:
1) A psychologist supports a bill making cyberbullying a crime, noting its prevalence and harm. However, others question if it should be a priority and if "unplugging" is a solution.
2) A writer argues criminalizing cyberbullying violates free speech rights and the solution is education, not prosecution. Punishing exclusion from online groups is seen as ridiculous.
3) A fact sheet provides statistics indicating cyberbullying negatively impacts many youth.
The document summarizes key amendments made by R.A. 10630 to strengthen the juvenile justice system in the Philippines. It establishes "Bahay Pag-asa", 24-hour child-caring institutions to be managed by local governments and NGOs, providing short-term care for children in conflict with the law. It also creates Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Centers to house children who committed serious crimes. The law transfers administrative supervision of the Juvenile Justice Welfare Council to DSWD, establishes Regional Juvenile Justice Welfare Councils, and requires local budgets to allocate funds for juvenile intervention programs and "Bahay Pag-asa" facilities. It also establishes a centralized registry and information management
Public policy involves government activities and decisions that influence citizens' lives, including who receives benefits and services and how those are determined. While traditionally focused on government, public policy now also involves non-governmental organizations. It affects not just citizens but others residing in a country. There is no single definition of public policy, as the meaning depends on the specific context, but it generally refers to government actions around issues of public concern. Common policy tools include providing services, passing laws, distributing money and taxes, offering loans and persuasion to confer rights, deliver goods and services, and distribute benefits and burdens. The context of factors like a country's politics, participation levels, pragmatism, diversity, markets, and history all shape
KITM: a voice for young people in separating familiesKidsintheMiddle
Kids in the Middle seeks to give children a voice regarding family separation by organizing groups of young people who have experienced parental separation. These groups will (1) film what children say about how separation should be managed to provide support and guidance to parents and professionals, and (2) build a website where children currently experiencing separation can support each other and address parents directly about managing conflict. The organization aims to reduce the harm of family separation on children through child-centered resources and advocacy.
The National Committee for Families and Children expresses condolences for the deaths of three children and calls for strengthening support for families. It emphasizes that raising children requires a community effort and that government and organizations must coordinate to ensure at-risk families can access needed services. The NCFC also notes that various support programs and organizations are available to assist struggling families and urges responsible media coverage of cases involving children.
The document discusses the history of efforts to ban child labor in the United States from the late 19th century to the 1930s. It provides context on why child labor was prevalent and perspectives on banning it. It notes that children had always worked historically. The first organized efforts against child labor began in the early 1900s with groups like the National Child Labor Committee. Key laws and acts that were passed include the Keating Owen Act of 1916, the failed Child Labor Amendment of 1924, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which placed limitations on child labor. The document discusses debates around certain exemptions and differing views on children's work and rights.
The document discusses laws around sexual content and social media. It provides scenarios to analyze whether certain behaviors involving sexual images and sexting are legal or illegal. The scenarios demonstrate that creating, sharing, or possessing sexual images of those under 18 breaks child pornography laws and can result in criminal charges. Sexting is defined as the exchange of sexual messages or images, which young people sometimes view as normal but can have serious legal and emotional consequences.
This document provides an executive summary of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness for 2010. The plan sets forth four key goals: 1) End chronic homelessness in 5 years; 2) Prevent and end homelessness among veterans in 5 years; 3) Prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and children in 10 years; and 4) Set a path to ending all homelessness. The plan is a collaborative effort between 19 federal agencies to better align housing, health, education, and human services programs to prevent homelessness. It identifies 10 objectives and 52 strategies to accomplish the goals, focusing on increasing housing, economic opportunities, health/stability, and improving the homeless crisis response system.
The sources discuss cyberbullying from different perspectives:
1) A psychologist supports a bill making cyberbullying a crime, noting its prevalence and harm. However, others question if it should be a priority and if "unplugging" is a solution.
2) A writer argues criminalizing cyberbullying violates free speech rights and the solution is education, not prosecution. Punishing exclusion from online groups is seen as ridiculous.
3) A fact sheet provides statistics indicating cyberbullying negatively impacts many youth.
The document summarizes key amendments made by R.A. 10630 to strengthen the juvenile justice system in the Philippines. It establishes "Bahay Pag-asa", 24-hour child-caring institutions to be managed by local governments and NGOs, providing short-term care for children in conflict with the law. It also creates Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Centers to house children who committed serious crimes. The law transfers administrative supervision of the Juvenile Justice Welfare Council to DSWD, establishes Regional Juvenile Justice Welfare Councils, and requires local budgets to allocate funds for juvenile intervention programs and "Bahay Pag-asa" facilities. It also establishes a centralized registry and information management
Public policy involves government activities and decisions that influence citizens' lives, including who receives benefits and services and how those are determined. While traditionally focused on government, public policy now also involves non-governmental organizations. It affects not just citizens but others residing in a country. There is no single definition of public policy, as the meaning depends on the specific context, but it generally refers to government actions around issues of public concern. Common policy tools include providing services, passing laws, distributing money and taxes, offering loans and persuasion to confer rights, deliver goods and services, and distribute benefits and burdens. The context of factors like a country's politics, participation levels, pragmatism, diversity, markets, and history all shape
KITM: a voice for young people in separating familiesKidsintheMiddle
Kids in the Middle seeks to give children a voice regarding family separation by organizing groups of young people who have experienced parental separation. These groups will (1) film what children say about how separation should be managed to provide support and guidance to parents and professionals, and (2) build a website where children currently experiencing separation can support each other and address parents directly about managing conflict. The organization aims to reduce the harm of family separation on children through child-centered resources and advocacy.
The National Committee for Families and Children expresses condolences for the deaths of three children and calls for strengthening support for families. It emphasizes that raising children requires a community effort and that government and organizations must coordinate to ensure at-risk families can access needed services. The NCFC also notes that various support programs and organizations are available to assist struggling families and urges responsible media coverage of cases involving children.
The document summarizes the first 100 days in office of Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker representing the 16th Legislative District of New Jersey. It discusses his swearing in ceremony, hiring staff for his new office, committee assignments, sponsored bills on issues like business growth, veterans affairs, and gun violence prevention. It also outlines community events attended like a fire relief dinner and job fair. The newsletter serves to update constituents on the assemblyman's activities and how residents can get assistance from his office.
Senior managers could be held liable for breaches, with a possible levy on the industry to fund the regulator. But critics say the plans threaten freedom of speech. So prepared the battles to come. As Carl Miller blogged this morning expect "all kinds of levels of nasty". The battles:
1. Harmful speech vs. freedom of speech
2. State control of the Internet vs. independence
3. Regulation and its unintended consequences
4. Those arguing that content moderation across enormous quantities of content can technically be done and those that can't
5. And for a smaller knot of people, an intense organisational turf war over what the regulator should look like and who gets to control it
Diversion refers to an alternative process for handling children in conflict with the law without resorting to formal court proceedings. It involves determining responsibility and treatment based on the child's background through informal means like mediation or community programs. Children eligible for diversion must be 15-18, acted with discernment, and are accused of offenses with imprisonment of 6-12 years. Diversion can occur at the barangay, police, or prosecutor level for lesser offenses, and in court for more serious offenses. It involves convening relevant parties to identify appropriate programs for the child, and drafting a contract outlining the program and responsibilities of all parties which the child must complete to conclude the diversion process.
1) The document discusses issues of gender inequality and social justice in South African society. It argues that while women have formal legal equality and protections, true social justice has not yet been achieved.
2) One area where injustice remains is domestic violence against women, which remains a serious social problem. Women often do not recognize abusive behavior as violence.
3) Female-headed households also face significant hardship due to socioeconomic inequalities. The burden on single mothers is made heavier by absent fathers who do not contribute to child support or well-being. Achieving social justice requires addressing these imbalances.
The document is a submission form for an assignment on the topic of whether the Domestic Violence Bill (2014) will successfully tackle domestic violence. It includes details about the student submitting the assignment such as their name, program of study, module details, word count, and a confirmation that the work is their own. The form requests the student confirm they have read and understood compliance guidelines for submitting assignments.
This document summarizes Republic Act No. 9344, which establishes the comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Welfare System in the Philippines. Some key points:
- It creates the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council under the Department of Social Welfare and Development to ensure effective implementation.
- It defines terms related to children at risk and in conflict with the law, and outlines the rights of children in conflict with the law based on international standards.
- It establishes the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old and exempts younger children from criminal liability, instead subjecting them to intervention programs.
The document discusses several legal and ethical issues to consider when creating a promotional video for a sixth form college. It notes that intellectual property, privacy, accuracy, and obtaining necessary permissions are important legal issues. Ethical issues include avoiding offensive, biased or one-sided content and ensuring fair representation. The document provides examples of how these issues apply to analyzing existing promotional videos and what to consider when creating a new video.
Media Regulation Booklet (OCR Media Conference 2009)rikhudson
The document discusses media regulation in the UK and Europe. It outlines key principles from the European Convention on Human Rights regarding privacy (Article 8) versus freedom of expression (Article 10), and how UK law must balance these. It also describes the voluntary Press Complaints Commission code for journalists and defines what constitutes public interest. Sample questions are provided from law exams for trainee journalists regarding defamation, privacy and legal issues around publishing photos. Finally, it discusses regulation of the internet, outlining recommendations from the Byron Review on keeping children safe online.
Papyrus Fragment Of A Letter From Victor To Psan Coptic TheLori Moore
This document discusses key concepts learned in a Production Management course. It highlights four important topics: productivity theory, which calculates productivity percentages; slowest worker theory, which focuses production around the slowest workers; assign and on duty approach, which determines how to schedule employee shifts; and the process of making prosthetic body parts. The assign and on duty approach allows managers to assign employees to shifts and determine how many must be on duty at each time. Understanding these production and scheduling concepts will be useful for future career applications.
The document provides recommendations to Parliament focusing on uncontrollable children. It summarizes interviews conducted with 12 uncontrollable female wards ages 13-17 at Horizon Adult Remand Centre to understand the causes of their behavior. It also reviews data on the juvenile population in correctional services. Recommendations are informed by international standards like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national legislation like the Child Care and Protection Act. The document calls for action to improve conditions for uncontrollable wards given their vulnerability.
Children's Human Rights - An Interdisciplinary Introduction A.pdfRenataGaio4
This document provides an overview of the drafting process of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child from 1978 to 1989. It discusses how Poland first proposed the convention, but their initial draft was criticized for being too narrow in scope and not updated from the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This led to the formation of an open-ended working group consisting of UN member states, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations to draft the convention. The process was long and complex, facing challenges from differing perspectives of Eastern and Western states during the Cold War as well as North-South relations. NGO involvement increased over time and helped shape about a third of the substantive articles. Key controversial issues during drafting included defining when childhood
The document discusses connecting youth with society and the importance of meaningful participation and inclusion of children and young people. It summarizes the evolution of children's rights from an early focus on provision rights to increasing emphasis on protection rights and later the introduction of participation rights in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. While laws and structures are important, the speaker emphasizes that a change in attitudes is also needed to establish a culture where children are accepted as co-actors in dialogue about decisions affecting them rather than seen as "not yets." Realizing children's right to participation requires ongoing effort as complaints still show how young people's input is often not taken seriously.
The Parliamentary Inquiry found that access to good quality, affordable childcare is particularly important for families with disabled children due to their increased risk of poverty. However, many families reported being unable to work due to a significant lack of suitable childcare options and higher costs of care for disabled children. The Inquiry heard that this lack of childcare forces some parents out of the workforce and others to work fewer hours than desired. Recommendations were made to address barriers to access, affordability, availability and inclusion of childcare for disabled children.
The document provides steps for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net:
1. Create an account with a password and email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline.
3. Writers will bid on the request and the client can choose a writer based on qualifications.
4. The client receives the paper and can request revisions to ensure satisfaction. HelpWriting.net guarantees original, high-quality work or a full refund.
American Revolution Essay | PDF | American Revolution | Native .... American Revolution Essay | Essay on American Revolution for Students .... 2 page essay on the american revolution.
Terre des Hommes International Federation welcomes the Panel on Give Voice to Victims of Trafficking. While progress has been made in recognizing child trafficking as a punishable crime, interventions to prevent trafficking and assist victims' social reintegration remain weak. The organization argues that programs aimed at social reintegration often ignore trafficked children's experiences and desires. A child's voice should be central in deciding their durable solution, which determines whether they return home or remain in the destination country along with support programs. Terre des Hommes recommends a process that includes interviewing children, assessing family reunification options, potential local integration, and discussing options while respecting children's views.
The document summarizes the first 100 days in office of Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker representing the 16th Legislative District of New Jersey. It discusses his swearing in ceremony, hiring staff for his new office, committee assignments, sponsored bills on issues like business growth, veterans affairs, and gun violence prevention. It also outlines community events attended like a fire relief dinner and job fair. The newsletter serves to update constituents on the assemblyman's activities and how residents can get assistance from his office.
Senior managers could be held liable for breaches, with a possible levy on the industry to fund the regulator. But critics say the plans threaten freedom of speech. So prepared the battles to come. As Carl Miller blogged this morning expect "all kinds of levels of nasty". The battles:
1. Harmful speech vs. freedom of speech
2. State control of the Internet vs. independence
3. Regulation and its unintended consequences
4. Those arguing that content moderation across enormous quantities of content can technically be done and those that can't
5. And for a smaller knot of people, an intense organisational turf war over what the regulator should look like and who gets to control it
Diversion refers to an alternative process for handling children in conflict with the law without resorting to formal court proceedings. It involves determining responsibility and treatment based on the child's background through informal means like mediation or community programs. Children eligible for diversion must be 15-18, acted with discernment, and are accused of offenses with imprisonment of 6-12 years. Diversion can occur at the barangay, police, or prosecutor level for lesser offenses, and in court for more serious offenses. It involves convening relevant parties to identify appropriate programs for the child, and drafting a contract outlining the program and responsibilities of all parties which the child must complete to conclude the diversion process.
1) The document discusses issues of gender inequality and social justice in South African society. It argues that while women have formal legal equality and protections, true social justice has not yet been achieved.
2) One area where injustice remains is domestic violence against women, which remains a serious social problem. Women often do not recognize abusive behavior as violence.
3) Female-headed households also face significant hardship due to socioeconomic inequalities. The burden on single mothers is made heavier by absent fathers who do not contribute to child support or well-being. Achieving social justice requires addressing these imbalances.
The document is a submission form for an assignment on the topic of whether the Domestic Violence Bill (2014) will successfully tackle domestic violence. It includes details about the student submitting the assignment such as their name, program of study, module details, word count, and a confirmation that the work is their own. The form requests the student confirm they have read and understood compliance guidelines for submitting assignments.
This document summarizes Republic Act No. 9344, which establishes the comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Welfare System in the Philippines. Some key points:
- It creates the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council under the Department of Social Welfare and Development to ensure effective implementation.
- It defines terms related to children at risk and in conflict with the law, and outlines the rights of children in conflict with the law based on international standards.
- It establishes the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old and exempts younger children from criminal liability, instead subjecting them to intervention programs.
The document discusses several legal and ethical issues to consider when creating a promotional video for a sixth form college. It notes that intellectual property, privacy, accuracy, and obtaining necessary permissions are important legal issues. Ethical issues include avoiding offensive, biased or one-sided content and ensuring fair representation. The document provides examples of how these issues apply to analyzing existing promotional videos and what to consider when creating a new video.
Media Regulation Booklet (OCR Media Conference 2009)rikhudson
The document discusses media regulation in the UK and Europe. It outlines key principles from the European Convention on Human Rights regarding privacy (Article 8) versus freedom of expression (Article 10), and how UK law must balance these. It also describes the voluntary Press Complaints Commission code for journalists and defines what constitutes public interest. Sample questions are provided from law exams for trainee journalists regarding defamation, privacy and legal issues around publishing photos. Finally, it discusses regulation of the internet, outlining recommendations from the Byron Review on keeping children safe online.
Papyrus Fragment Of A Letter From Victor To Psan Coptic TheLori Moore
This document discusses key concepts learned in a Production Management course. It highlights four important topics: productivity theory, which calculates productivity percentages; slowest worker theory, which focuses production around the slowest workers; assign and on duty approach, which determines how to schedule employee shifts; and the process of making prosthetic body parts. The assign and on duty approach allows managers to assign employees to shifts and determine how many must be on duty at each time. Understanding these production and scheduling concepts will be useful for future career applications.
The document provides recommendations to Parliament focusing on uncontrollable children. It summarizes interviews conducted with 12 uncontrollable female wards ages 13-17 at Horizon Adult Remand Centre to understand the causes of their behavior. It also reviews data on the juvenile population in correctional services. Recommendations are informed by international standards like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national legislation like the Child Care and Protection Act. The document calls for action to improve conditions for uncontrollable wards given their vulnerability.
Children's Human Rights - An Interdisciplinary Introduction A.pdfRenataGaio4
This document provides an overview of the drafting process of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child from 1978 to 1989. It discusses how Poland first proposed the convention, but their initial draft was criticized for being too narrow in scope and not updated from the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This led to the formation of an open-ended working group consisting of UN member states, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations to draft the convention. The process was long and complex, facing challenges from differing perspectives of Eastern and Western states during the Cold War as well as North-South relations. NGO involvement increased over time and helped shape about a third of the substantive articles. Key controversial issues during drafting included defining when childhood
The document discusses connecting youth with society and the importance of meaningful participation and inclusion of children and young people. It summarizes the evolution of children's rights from an early focus on provision rights to increasing emphasis on protection rights and later the introduction of participation rights in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. While laws and structures are important, the speaker emphasizes that a change in attitudes is also needed to establish a culture where children are accepted as co-actors in dialogue about decisions affecting them rather than seen as "not yets." Realizing children's right to participation requires ongoing effort as complaints still show how young people's input is often not taken seriously.
The Parliamentary Inquiry found that access to good quality, affordable childcare is particularly important for families with disabled children due to their increased risk of poverty. However, many families reported being unable to work due to a significant lack of suitable childcare options and higher costs of care for disabled children. The Inquiry heard that this lack of childcare forces some parents out of the workforce and others to work fewer hours than desired. Recommendations were made to address barriers to access, affordability, availability and inclusion of childcare for disabled children.
The document provides steps for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net:
1. Create an account with a password and email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline.
3. Writers will bid on the request and the client can choose a writer based on qualifications.
4. The client receives the paper and can request revisions to ensure satisfaction. HelpWriting.net guarantees original, high-quality work or a full refund.
American Revolution Essay | PDF | American Revolution | Native .... American Revolution Essay | Essay on American Revolution for Students .... 2 page essay on the american revolution.
Terre des Hommes International Federation welcomes the Panel on Give Voice to Victims of Trafficking. While progress has been made in recognizing child trafficking as a punishable crime, interventions to prevent trafficking and assist victims' social reintegration remain weak. The organization argues that programs aimed at social reintegration often ignore trafficked children's experiences and desires. A child's voice should be central in deciding their durable solution, which determines whether they return home or remain in the destination country along with support programs. Terre des Hommes recommends a process that includes interviewing children, assessing family reunification options, potential local integration, and discussing options while respecting children's views.
Similar to House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 Jul 2004 (pt 33) (9)
Terre des Hommes International Federation statement for the Panel on Give Voi...
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 Jul 2004 (pt 33)
1. 01/07/2015 06:27House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 Jul 2004 (pt 33)
Page 1 of 3http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040719/debtext/40719-33.htm
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You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard >
Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume
Hansard - Debate
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Ms Keeble: Will my hon. Friend spell out carefully what he expects social services to do? One reason why I asked for such children to be considered as
"at risk" is that social services would then be immediately obliged to help them. At the moment, it is very hard for children to get that help.
Mr. Browne: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that intervention. Given that we have discussed this issue, she knows that social services have a duty
to safeguard and to promote the welfare of such children following an assessment of their circumstances. Social services departments will undertake
needs assessments, and they will provide services in the light of the outcome of those assessments. Such services will be tailored to the individual needs
of the child, just as they should be for any child in need.
We recognise that there is a real danger that victims returning home will fall back into the hands of traffickers. That is why we will remove
unaccompanied children only if we are satisfied that the family has been traced, that adequate reception arrangements are in place and that there will be
adequate longer-term care for them. If they have been victims of sexual exploitation, their communities may refuse to welcome them back, and we need
to help victims reintegrate into their communities and to deal sensitively with some of the cultural assumptions that can prevent that.
Ms Keeble: Will my hon. Friend deal with the need for data sharing? Children move around frequently and sometimes social services will not help them
or will say that they cannot find them. It is a pressing issue to provide the safeguards that are needed.
Mr. Browne: If my hon. Friend will bear with me for a moment, I will come on to the issue of fast tracking and data sharing. At this point, I want to deal
with the meeting that I had last week because it represents what my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster and Wyre referred to as a pioneering
international approach. It also relates to the point made by the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham about contact with social services in the
originating countries.
19 Jul 2004 : Column 131
In my view, the concept of adopting an international approach through professionalised social services is a very attractive proposition. It presents a
significant challenge to the Government to generate co-operation with other countries with a view to putting in place the level of co-operation necessary
to ensure that appropriate standards are applied across international boundaries. The proposition put to me last week was substantially the work of
Lawrence Chester, whom I know from other work that he has done with refugees. He has a significant reputation not only in respect of social work, but of
refugees. He was supported by the British Association of Social Workers, represented by Ian Johnston and John Metcalf, and by the Children's Legal
Centre represented by George Lane.
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It was an exciting and interesting proposal that will require further discussion in government and across government here in the UK and with interested
non-governmental organisations. We will need to develop the approach in the UK before we can consider taking it further internationally, and it may be
some considerable time before the exciting proposal becomes a reality, but it is worthwhile work and I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for
Lancaster and Wyre and others for bringing it to me. I will take it as far forward as I can, which might provide a vehicle for taking forward some of the
points raised by the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham.
May I say to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North that I am indeed aware of how important speed of decision making is to children? As
she rightly says, a comparatively short wait may not be a long time in an adult's life, but it may be an eternity in a child's life. I fully understand that.
Taking decisions about children with appropriate speed is part of the process of dealing with children sensitively and appropriately. That is what I expect
the immigration and nationality directorate to do.
My hon. Friend must accept, however, the requirement to balance the obvious need for a speedy decision in cases of applications made by children
against ensuring that any areas of concern about the child's welfare are fully explored with the relevant agencies before the decision is reached. Having
spent the best part of a quarter of a century of my professional life—before I became a professional politician—working in child law matters and child
protection, I am very much aware of the dangers of taking decisions about children far too quickly. Unfortunately, there are some outstanding examples
of that in the history of child protection in the UK. Not enough time has been taken fully to explore with the relevant agencies the appropriate issues on
child protection.
My hon. Friend can rest assured that I am conscious of the need for that balance and for the need for speed—appropriate speed—when dealing with
children. I ask her to accept my assurance that the Home Office and the immigration and nationality directorate are working to ensure that the desire for
speed does not operate against the best interests of the child.
19 Jul 2004 : Column 132
My expectation is that the immigration and nationality directorate will carry out that work to the standard of the duty of care towards children that arises
from our obligations under the UN convention on the rights of the child. Although the UK has a reservation in the convention enabling us to apply such
legislation as we deem necessary in the interests of immigration control, we have regard to the convention in the formulation of policy and practice
relating to children arriving or resident in the UK. The key obligations are to act in the child's best interests, to take all appropriate steps to protect the
child from all forms of abuse or neglect, and to provide special protection and assistance to children deprived of their family environment, for whatever
reason.
My hon. Friend asked me to reassure her specifically that social services will ensure that data are shared appropriately. In cases relating to children, I
have met agencies whose approach has seemed to be more about data protection than about child protection. In my view, when a balance must be
struck between the protection of the child and the protection of data, the obligation of an agency is to err on the side of the protection of the child. I
would expect that, insofar as I have responsibility for issues relating to child protection, those who are directly accountable to me will apply that rule at
all times. I am not responsible for other areas of Government policy, but I would be astonished if other Ministers took a different view. I hope that that
reassurance is sufficient for my hon. Friend.
Tim Loughton: I am greatly encouraged by the Minister's comments about data. He mentioned working on a joint international initiative, which is
essential. It is now more than four years since Victoria Climbié came to this country from the Ivory Coast and more than five years since we had a spate
of girls coming from Nigeria and Sierra Leone into west Sussex through Gatwick airport, who were subsequently adopted into the sex trade in northern
Italy. What has happened in the past two years to ensure that international social services are working to ensure that those children do not get on the
plane in the first place? If there is a problem with sending children back, are international social services working with the communities in those countries
to make it safe for them to go back? If there is any question of those children being used for illicit purposes in this country, their best home must be with
or close to their families and communities of origin. I would have hoped that a bit more had been done by now.
Mr. Browne: I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman's analysis of the challenges and priorities. I have set out the extent of my knowledge about
international co-operation. I do not have detailed knowledge about that other area of Government responsibility, but I will undertake to have his
questions answered appropriately and I will write to him. I do not know off the top of my head just how robust international social services are in the
areas that he mentions. He is entitled to a response to those questions, but it is not the Government's responsibility to construct social service support in
other parts of the world. It is our responsibility to ensure that those people who come to our shores receive an appropriate response and that the
necessary risk assessment is made. I hope
19 Jul 2004 : Column 133
that I have been able to reassure the House that significant progress has been made in the legislative structure and in the practical operation of that
protection, but challenges remain and there is still work to be done. That work will be carried on not only by me, in the Home Office, but by other
Ministers who share with me responsibility for children in the UK. I shall ensure that the hon. Gentleman receives a written response from me on those
issues, and I shall lodge the letter in the Library.
I have outlined briefly the Government's strategy to combat trafficking, but it must be accepted that we cannot do that work alone. We need to continue
to work across traditional organisational boundaries. We must work with our EU partners and beyond the EU. We
19 Jul 2004 : Column 134
must work with the voluntary sector and with communities both in this country and abroad to address some of the wider cultural issues behind
trafficking.
I hope that through innovative operations, such as Operation Paladin Child, and by bringing together professionals from different backgrounds and
organisations we can continue that work. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North for giving me this opportunity to set out—
at some length, due to the extra time available—what the Government are doing in this field and I hope that she is reassured by my remarks.
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3. 01/07/2015 06:27House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 Jul 2004 (pt 33)
Page 3 of 3http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040719/debtext/40719-33.htm
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