Utting Safeguards Review

EDM number 642 in 1997-98, proposed by Andrew Rowe on 14/01/1998.

That this House recognises that it is an overriding responsibility of public and charitable services relating to safeguard and promote the welfare of children living away from home; welcomes the recommendations of Sir William Utting's Review of the Safeguards for Children Living Away From Home (People Like Us, 1997), and believes that urgent action must be taken to ensure that all organisations caring for children apply the recommendations of Choosing With Care (The Warner Report, 1992) in selecting and recruiting staff and volunteers who work with children; further believes that arrangements for protecting children from abuse; including registration and inspection requirements, should be made consistent in all settings in which children live away from home, that the remaining recommendations of the Advisory Group on Video Evidence (The Pigot Report, 1989) should be implemented and a review conducted of arrangements for prosecuting sexual offences against children; and further argues that all children living away from home should be given access to independent representation and safe contact with adults outside the organisation in which they live and that the permanent focus on children's issues recommended by Sir William Utting should be met by the appointment of independent commissioners for children, for whom the welfare of children living away from home should be of particular concern.

This motion has been signed by a total of 51 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.