17/12/2015

:00:00. > :00:00.present of our forces in Syria and Iraq is to restore peace to people

:00:00. > :00:00.who are wandering around a region desperately looking for a home. We

:00:00. > :00:10.need them to be able to go back to their own homes.

:00:11. > :00:22.The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

:00:23. > :00:26.I believe that our gloriously diverse country will prosper more of

:00:27. > :00:31.the district, counties, towns, and cities that make it up, havd more

:00:32. > :00:36.power. If you accept that it follows that you must believe counchls to be

:00:37. > :00:40.capable of exercising that power. Over the last five years cotncils

:00:41. > :00:44.have shown a great responsibility, when local authorities accotnt for a

:00:45. > :00:48.quarter of public spending ht was always the case they would have to

:00:49. > :00:52.carry their share of reducing the largest deficit in peacetimd

:00:53. > :00:56.history. Not only have they done so but public satisfaction with their

:00:57. > :01:02.services has been maintained or improved. I would like to thank the

:01:03. > :01:06.staff involved with the recdnt flux, their commitment to their rdsidence

:01:07. > :01:11.is exemplary. But I cannot credit councils with acumen and thdn deny

:01:12. > :01:16.them can do. More savings nded to be made as we finish the job of

:01:17. > :01:20.eliminating the deficit. I have listened carefully to counchls as I

:01:21. > :01:25.prepare this settlement. Cotncils ask for the right to spend locally

:01:26. > :01:28.what they raise locally. Thdy have asked for help adult social care

:01:29. > :01:34.costs and expenditure savings are required that recognise what has

:01:35. > :01:38.already been achieved by local government. They want to sed a

:01:39. > :01:42.recognition of the higher costs of providing services to sparsdly

:01:43. > :01:46.populated rural areas. They want to see encouragement for cost-saving

:01:47. > :01:51.innovation, rewards for new homes, complete transparency regards

:01:52. > :01:55.resource allocation and a move you and one year at a time budgdting.

:01:56. > :02:03.This provisional settlement meet all of these objectives. Local

:02:04. > :02:08.government will be transforled, in 2010 councils were 80% dependent on

:02:09. > :02:13.central government grants. ( to correctly they will be 100% funded

:02:14. > :02:21.by council tax, business rates, and other local revenues -- by 2020 they

:02:22. > :02:25.will be. It forges the necessary links between local business and

:02:26. > :02:31.civic successes. To support this further we will grow the local

:02:32. > :02:35.growth fund to 12 early in pounds by 2021. A conservative revolution

:02:36. > :02:39.transforming overcentralised written into one of the most decentralised

:02:40. > :02:44.countries in the world. Authorities can also spend 100% of capital

:02:45. > :02:47.receipts from asset sales to fund the cost saving reforms and we will

:02:48. > :02:51.publish guidance to local authorities in this matter. The

:02:52. > :02:56.spending review set out that based on forecasts of local government

:02:57. > :03:02.spending would be slightly higher in 2019-20 than 2015-16. The core

:03:03. > :03:13.spending power for councils will be virtually unchanged. 44.3 bhllion in

:03:14. > :03:17.2019-20. In real terms requhres a savings of 6.7% over the period

:03:18. > :03:22.compared with 14% required `t the beginning of the spending rdview

:03:23. > :03:25.2010. The unanimous view across local government is that thd biggest

:03:26. > :03:33.cost pressure is care for otr growing elderly population.

:03:34. > :03:39.In September, county councils wrote to me suggesting this would would

:03:40. > :03:46.require an extra 2.9 billion by 2019. Social care Council t`x

:03:47. > :03:54.precept was proposed, guaranteed to be spent on social care, eqtivalent

:03:55. > :04:00.to ?23 per year for an aver`ge home. We will ensure the precept hs

:04:01. > :04:03.transparently itemised on residents's bills. For some

:04:04. > :04:10.councils, the precept will not raise enough to meet growing costs. We

:04:11. > :04:25.announced our fund to support councils in working with thdir local

:04:26. > :04:31.providers. We recognise that in the distribution of resources the

:04:32. > :04:36.particular needs of councils with social care responsibilities are

:04:37. > :04:39.recognised. Local government asked for ?2.9 billion by 2020 as a

:04:40. > :04:48.contribution to costs of social care.

:04:49. > :04:55.I applaud the maturity of local government as a whole in telling me

:04:56. > :04:58.they accept this prioritisation implies those councils with social

:04:59. > :05:03.care responsibilities should have relatively more resources than those

:05:04. > :05:08.that don't have them. Some District Council is, those with low council

:05:09. > :05:20.tax pieces or serving rural areas, face particular pressures.

:05:21. > :05:26.Those who have spent more in the past are allowed to spend more now.

:05:27. > :05:34.I will increase support for the most sparsely populated rural aerials by

:05:35. > :05:39.more than quadruple in delivery from 15.5 million this year to 64

:05:40. > :05:44.million, by which time when 100 business rate attention has been

:05:45. > :05:52.achieved, we can consider what further protection is due. H will

:05:53. > :05:55.protect in real terms funding for authorities to work as statttory

:05:56. > :06:06.consultations regarding drahnage systems. I can announce tod`y we

:06:07. > :06:14.will extend the bonus indefhnitely. With some changes which I al

:06:15. > :06:18.consulting on. Savings will be retained by local government to

:06:19. > :06:22.contribute to social care. Only a small proportion of funding will

:06:23. > :06:30.come from central government so we require transparency. I havd noted

:06:31. > :06:34.the criticism of the Public Accounts Committee about previous inclusions

:06:35. > :06:43.of the existence of better care funds and the public health fund in

:06:44. > :06:48.spending plans. Additionallx, in all of the figures in the settldment, I

:06:49. > :06:54.have chosen to understate the maximum resources available to

:06:55. > :06:56.councils. In line with the OBR, I assume councils will increase

:06:57. > :07:05.council tax in line with inflation, rather than the referendum threshold

:07:06. > :07:17.of 2%. Councils will increase bills by less than their full enthtlement.

:07:18. > :07:25.Had I assumed the maximum fhgure, the main reason councils kedp

:07:26. > :07:28.reserves is as a buffer frol unpredictable year-to-year budgets.

:07:29. > :07:32.For generations, my predecessors have been told the greater certainty

:07:33. > :07:36.about their income over the medium term would allow them to organise

:07:37. > :07:41.more efficiently and strategically and to put some of those safety net

:07:42. > :07:46.reserves to more productive use In this settlement, I do something that

:07:47. > :07:51.local government leaders have yearned for. For the first time

:07:52. > :07:56.ever, I offer a guaranteed budget to every council which desires one and

:07:57. > :08:01.can demonstrate efficiency savings for next year and every year of this

:08:02. > :08:07.Parliament. A four-year budget to give certainty and confidence. A

:08:08. > :08:10.settlement that maintains the financial resources available to

:08:11. > :08:15.councils in 2020 at around the same level as they are today, by giving

:08:16. > :08:18.incentives to local governmdnt to make significant savings. A

:08:19. > :08:29.settlement that direct ?3.5 billion to care for elderly citizens. A

:08:30. > :08:34.historic settlement that makes local councils and trouble to loc`l

:08:35. > :08:42.people. I commend this to the House. I am grateful for advance notice of

:08:43. > :08:50.the statement. Since his prddecessor really turned up for these occasions

:08:51. > :08:56.in person, it is particularly welcome to see a smile. We join him

:08:57. > :09:03.indirectly paying tribute to local councils understaffed. The statement

:09:04. > :09:08.contains a number of details to which we should return. Sadly the

:09:09. > :09:13.central message is the same as always. Cuts, cuts and more cuts. He

:09:14. > :09:19.admits to a cached decrease of 200 billion between now and 2020, but he

:09:20. > :09:26.forgets to say that the addhtional spending pressure amounts to at

:09:27. > :09:39.least ?6.3 billion, according to the L this is the skill of the cuts we

:09:40. > :09:42.announce to our communities. What about demographic change? More

:09:43. > :09:48.people need support than evdr before. What about the additional

:09:49. > :09:53.statutory duties he has givdn to local government. Home have all

:09:54. > :09:57.these been paid for? This sdttlement is massively reduces the central

:09:58. > :10:00.government grant to local government. Does he agree whth the

:10:01. > :10:04.House of Commons library who calculated that even if central

:10:05. > :10:07.government was maintaining hts present level, throughout the whole

:10:08. > :10:12.of this Parliament the government would still overall run a strplus on

:10:13. > :10:17.the revenue account of over ?4 billion a year in 2020. Is ht not

:10:18. > :10:24.the truth that these cuts are political choice made of nulber 11,

:10:25. > :10:28.rather than economic necesshty? Does the honourable gentleman agree with

:10:29. > :10:35.his Conservative colleague, chair of the LGA, who says it is wrong that

:10:36. > :10:41.services to our local communities rely on which our communitids rely

:10:42. > :10:46.on Morpheus deeper cuts than the rest of the public sector ydt again.

:10:47. > :10:51.Local taxpayers to be left to pick up the bill for new governmdnt

:10:52. > :10:59.policies without additional funding. Even of councils stop filling in

:11:00. > :11:01.potholes, maintaining parks, closing libraries and turning off

:11:02. > :11:06.streetlights, they would sthll not have saved enough money to plug the

:11:07. > :11:23.financial Blackall which thdy will face by 2020. That is a conservative

:11:24. > :11:27.leader of the LGA. Does he think anyone is filled when the government

:11:28. > :11:34.acts in this week? Is it a false economy to cut council fundhng for

:11:35. > :11:39.adult social care and public health? What is his estimate of the impact

:11:40. > :11:44.of these local government ctts on the NHS? Isn't it obvious that if

:11:45. > :11:48.there is less care and the community and less preventative action by

:11:49. > :11:54.councils, there will be mord pressure on acute provision within

:11:55. > :12:03.the NHS? Isn't all of this the worst kind of Osbourne economics? Shot

:12:04. > :12:11.termist and tactical rather than strategical and long-term? What

:12:12. > :12:18.about the Northern Powerhouse? Does he agree that cuts in local councils

:12:19. > :12:29.and the North amounts to tens of millions of pounds more than the

:12:30. > :12:41.small amount that is being tsed to create the Powerhouse. What is his

:12:42. > :12:52.estimate of the quantity of reserves? In any event, is ht not

:12:53. > :12:57.the case that the reserves or often built up for asset sales and should

:12:58. > :13:00.not generally be used to prop up day-to-day spending. The st`tement

:13:01. > :13:05.today mentions business ratds. Of course it is right and we wdlcome

:13:06. > :13:11.the fact this money should be directed into Town Hall budgets The

:13:12. > :13:17.questioners, how will the btsiness rate be distributed, given the fact

:13:18. > :13:22.this income is notoriously tneven. Will he see now how he intends to

:13:23. > :13:28.make an equitable distributhon of those funds? On business rates, does

:13:29. > :13:32.he accept the wise words of the IFF who said if you're somewherd like

:13:33. > :13:40.Westminster it is easy to whn from the system. Than if you are from

:13:41. > :13:45.somewhere like Wolverhampton. Turning to another matter, what

:13:46. > :13:55.estimate does he make of thd impact on different councils of thhs

:13:56. > :14:01.assessment? Councils have lost out in the past. Doesn't some of the

:14:02. > :14:07.announcement today met at worst Local authorities in deprivdd areas

:14:08. > :14:17.have seen cuts of ?220 per head compared to ?40 per head in more

:14:18. > :14:23.affluent areas. He was not the author of the formula. Will he

:14:24. > :14:28.examine the injustice in thd way the money is distributed? Finally, the

:14:29. > :14:35.country needs a new democratic settlement. Locally account`ble

:14:36. > :14:44.councils need to be the heart of a new settlement. The recent floods

:14:45. > :14:47.shall councils and their employers at the best. We welcome multi-year

:14:48. > :14:52.funding which the Minister just talked about. Which we proposed in

:14:53. > :14:58.the citizen devolution Bill. Which they voted against. Will he come

:14:59. > :15:03.back to the House with more details on this matter as soon as possible?

:15:04. > :15:06.The Minister pays lip service to local government Renaissancd.

:15:07. > :15:13.Doesn't this announcement whth topline cuts of billions of pounds

:15:14. > :15:18.falling invariably on the poorest areas mean this government hs

:15:19. > :15:24.unlikely to deliver the Ren`issance required for our country. I will be

:15:25. > :15:30.charitable to the honourabld gentleman in the spirit of

:15:31. > :15:33.Christmas. I think he had written his response before she had heard

:15:34. > :15:39.the statement. So far from this being a tactical settlement as he

:15:40. > :15:44.puts it, there could be nothing more strategic than a settlement for the

:15:45. > :15:49.first time ever which gives what local council leaders have long

:15:50. > :15:52.called for, the certainty of a four-year funding settlement,

:15:53. > :15:58.previously denied them and give them the chance to manage their `ffairs

:15:59. > :16:02.in exactly the way they want to As he might have expected from our

:16:03. > :16:06.previous exchanges, during the last few months, I have spent a lot of

:16:07. > :16:10.time with local government leaders are listening to them as to what are

:16:11. > :16:14.the most important pressures and what are the most important concerns

:16:15. > :16:21.that they want to see reflected The reflected very clearly that adult

:16:22. > :16:26.social care, funding adult social care, was the main priority for all

:16:27. > :16:32.kinds of councils. We have delivered the extra resources we have promised

:16:33. > :16:40.to do that in this settlement. And the distribution between authorities

:16:41. > :16:43.reflects something that I think the honourable gentleman would give

:16:44. > :16:48.credit for. When it comes to the overall settlement, I think you

:16:49. > :16:51.authorities, even a few months ago, would have expected the Comlunities

:16:52. > :16:56.Secretary would be able to `nnounce in effect a flat cash settldment for

:16:57. > :16:59.local government with a whole of the spending the -- spending review

:17:00. > :17:11.period. When it comes to reserves that the honourable gentlem`n

:17:12. > :17:16.mentions, reserves have increased from 13 billion to 22.5 billion 71%

:17:17. > :17:21.increase. We don't assume in this settlement that they are gohng to

:17:22. > :17:24.make use of them, but they now have the opportunity to do so because of

:17:25. > :17:33.the four-year settlement th`t we have ranted them. He mentions the

:17:34. > :17:35.head of the LGA. I have met all of the leading groups in the LGA,

:17:36. > :17:53.including his Labour colleagues that the... I have met government

:17:54. > :17:59.leaders of all sorts. Lord Porter says this is a fair financi`l

:18:00. > :18:05.settlement. He says this addresses concerns put to me over the last few

:18:06. > :18:12.years. If I could just refer to the expectations and advice that we had

:18:13. > :18:18.from the front bench opposite, when we had the financial statemdnt last

:18:19. > :18:22.year, the previous Shadow Sdcretary of State said that what councils

:18:23. > :18:26.needed was help with longer,term funding settlements so they can plan

:18:27. > :18:31.to protect services. We want to see more devolution of power silicon

:18:32. > :18:36.work with other public servhces locally to get the most out of

:18:37. > :18:40.public funding and opera is that needed more than social card. That

:18:41. > :18:48.is what we deliver in the spending review settlement.

:18:49. > :18:53.Multi-year settlements are being counted for for many years, and

:18:54. > :19:02.devolution of power through localisation of income, accountable

:19:03. > :19:06.to electors and not to Whitdhall. I wish a happy Christmas to yourself

:19:07. > :19:10.and other members. I would like to wish a happy Christmas to the

:19:11. > :19:17.opposition front bench but they look as flat as a souffle that h`s gone

:19:18. > :19:19.off, so we needn't bother. H congratulate my right honourable

:19:20. > :19:25.friend and having delivered what is frankly the most imaginativd local

:19:26. > :19:33.government settlement I havd heard in my time on the House, including

:19:34. > :19:36.those I delivered myself. Hd has listened to local government, I

:19:37. > :19:46.particularly welcome the reflection he has made upon the pressures of

:19:47. > :19:50.adult social care. Can he ilpressed the same can-do attitude on my local

:19:51. > :19:58.authority and all those people is reflected in the health sector as

:19:59. > :20:00.well? We need the drive of local governor and and the accountability

:20:01. > :20:05.of local government to take those partnerships forward.

:20:06. > :20:09.My honourable friend is absolutely right. He made an enormous

:20:10. > :20:12.contribution during his timd as a minister in the department, to

:20:13. > :20:17.reforming and driving forward the decentralisation. I can confirm that

:20:18. > :20:23.part of the money that we h`ve secured for the better care fund is

:20:24. > :20:28.for local authorities and for the NHS to work closely together, to

:20:29. > :20:31.recognise that our elderly people, whether care for in hospitals or

:20:32. > :20:37.care homes, our joint responsibility. This providds an

:20:38. > :20:41.opportunity for councils to work together in the interests of a

:20:42. > :20:46.growing elderly population. At least there is some charhty on

:20:47. > :20:51.this side of the chamber, I will what the Secretary of State has said

:20:52. > :20:54.about the better care fund, and also about the settlement. We max have

:20:55. > :21:01.disagreement about the detahls but the principle is correct. C`n I draw

:21:02. > :21:04.his attention to the 6% real cuts figure was to mark that does not

:21:05. > :21:08.take account of the increashng demand of the growing number of

:21:09. > :21:13.elderly nor of the extra costs imposed to local government by

:21:14. > :21:16.specific policies. I draw hhs attention to two things, thd

:21:17. > :21:21.increase in the minimum wagd having a particular impact on the cost of

:21:22. > :21:24.social care, and also the pdnsion changes, having a cost in n`tional

:21:25. > :21:30.insurance. Will the governmdnt recognise those as new rodents? Or

:21:31. > :21:35.does he recognise they will be cuts to local government services that

:21:36. > :21:42.are not recognised in his statement? -- new burdens. I am grateftl that

:21:43. > :21:46.his celebrity and its predecessors have long called for four ydt

:21:47. > :21:51.settlements and the devoluthon of powers. We have made a choice advice

:21:52. > :21:54.by local government in what is a flat cash settlement over the

:21:55. > :22:03.spending review period to prioritise adult social care. When I t`lked

:22:04. > :22:06.about candour at the beginnhng of my statement, of course that mdans that

:22:07. > :22:12.authorities need to continud to make savings in areas outside of those

:22:13. > :22:18.errors that we have provided extra funds for. That is accepted and

:22:19. > :22:21.understood. We have also agreed that it should be at a lower ratd than

:22:22. > :22:29.was necessary at the beginnhng of the previous parliament. I think

:22:30. > :22:31.local councils were on that. The Conservative control of

:22:32. > :22:37.Leicestershire County Counchl is one of the best in the country but its

:22:38. > :22:41.funding is the worst. I am sure that his innovative statement today will

:22:42. > :22:44.be welcomed in the county, not least because it gives additional

:22:45. > :22:52.freedoms. And in what is now world famous market Bosworth, since the

:22:53. > :22:59.internment of Richard III, xou can ask anyone in another country, the

:23:00. > :23:04.initiatives for rural areas will be very much welcome and a feeling that

:23:05. > :23:11.they have been neglected. Btt will he explained more about how this

:23:12. > :23:15.will affect hard-pressed Leicestershire, which is to refit

:23:16. > :23:21.but his meeting targets and social care. I join in history of

:23:22. > :23:27.Leicestershire County Counchl. They were one of the councils th`t made

:23:28. > :23:31.representations because of substantial social care costs that

:23:32. > :23:37.what recognise. As a result of the settlement proposed over thd course

:23:38. > :23:39.of the spending review period by 201920 there will be an increase in

:23:40. > :23:50.resources available to Leicestershire of 3.5%.

:23:51. > :24:01.I'm sure council like Leicestershire will make great use of it bdnefit of

:24:02. > :24:04.elderly constituents. Billington is rich in talent but one of the

:24:05. > :24:08.poorest constituencies in England. In the city of Birmingham, suffering

:24:09. > :24:14.the biggest cuts in local government story. The consequences for the city

:24:15. > :24:19.will be very serious. The cttting of school crossing patrols, for

:24:20. > :24:21.vulnerable families with thd end of home start at 25 years, and for

:24:22. > :24:28.those of vulnerable and dis`bled people in need of social care. My

:24:29. > :24:32.experience is that the Secrdtary of State is a decent man. He s`id today

:24:33. > :24:36.he is prepared to listen. Whll you be to meet with me and my colleagues

:24:37. > :24:42.to hear the case for Birmingham A fair deal for Birmingham. I am

:24:43. > :24:48.always delighted to me the honourable gentleman and his

:24:49. > :24:51.colleagues. My right honour`ble friend, the member for Sutton

:24:52. > :24:57.Coldfield, who shares his great commitment to that great city, of

:24:58. > :25:01.course I will, and one of the consequences of this spending review

:25:02. > :25:06.is that we do recognise the increased cost that social service

:25:07. > :25:11.authorities like Birmingham face. I can tell him that at the end of the

:25:12. > :25:16.spending review period, 2018-20 the city of Birmingham will havd a

:25:17. > :25:20.spending power per dwelling of 200 more than the national aver`ge.

:25:21. > :25:33.Recognising some of the pressures he mentions.

:25:34. > :25:40.Can the Minister not penalised councils who are already very

:25:41. > :25:43.efficient and in the 3.5 million made available for social c`re can

:25:44. > :25:48.he please take into account Richmond Council, because we are effhcient,

:25:49. > :25:52.but we have great needs, because there's a disproportionate number

:25:53. > :25:56.over 65 is living alone, will he please meet with me and council

:25:57. > :26:00.leaders to discuss the next year's budget? Up to Christmas my

:26:01. > :26:03.colleagues and I will be busy meeting many honourable members but

:26:04. > :26:06.I am certainly happy to meet my honourable friend and I pay tribute

:26:07. > :26:11.to the efficiency of Richmond-upon-Thames Borough

:26:12. > :26:14.Council. It is right that wd recognise there are two

:26:15. > :26:21.contributions here, the precept that has been proposed, and the `ddition

:26:22. > :26:23.to the better care funds. They will be allocated and complement three

:26:24. > :26:32.ways, which is what local governor leaders across the country have

:26:33. > :26:35.recommended. A political st`tement dressed up as localism. Will he and

:26:36. > :26:40.knowledge of the distributional effect of what he proposes leans

:26:41. > :26:42.that every single local authority in north-east of England gives us out?

:26:43. > :26:48.And will he save the intervdntion that has announced on social care to

:26:49. > :26:55.cover children in care as wdll as adults? I know the right honourable

:26:56. > :27:00.gentleman must have second sight to know the impact before he h`s even

:27:01. > :27:02.had the chance to look at the figures for the particular

:27:03. > :27:11.authorities. Of course by prioritising social care th`t

:27:12. > :27:13.directs resources to those authorities with responsibility for

:27:14. > :27:18.children as well as adults `nd social services. So compared to what

:27:19. > :27:23.would have happened in the steady state, as it were, those

:27:24. > :27:28.authorities, including his own in Newcastle upon Tyne, would benefit.

:27:29. > :27:34.Conservative lead Hertfordshire County Council and St Albans

:27:35. > :27:38.district councils are the most efficient councils in the country,

:27:39. > :27:46.however they face a very large problem, namely sinkholes, will

:27:47. > :27:49.recognition be taken of those special events, like the Culbria

:27:50. > :27:53.floods, cause this is a big deal in St Albans, where we need a

:27:54. > :27:58.significant commitment to elergency repairs in the area? I do understand

:27:59. > :28:03.that every local authority has its unique circumstances, it's tnique

:28:04. > :28:06.treasures. Part of the responsibility of local govdrnment

:28:07. > :28:12.is to anticipate and prepard for them. In the course of the

:28:13. > :28:15.consultation on the settlemdnt we would be very happy to meet with her

:28:16. > :28:17.to understand the particular circumstances.

:28:18. > :28:22.I don't know what happens in Tunbridge Wells but can I tdll the

:28:23. > :28:29.Minister that in the real world in the Walsall Borough, hardly a week

:28:30. > :28:37.goes by without news of further cuts to essential services and

:28:38. > :28:40.facilities? Or that those sdrvices will be abolished altogether. Even

:28:41. > :28:46.the Conservative council le`der has made it known how concerned he is at

:28:47. > :28:55.the impact these cuts are m`king in the borough. Would it not bd wise to

:28:56. > :29:00.understand that in areas of deprivation and low income ht is

:29:01. > :29:03.absolutely essential that a different direction of policy is

:29:04. > :29:07.taken by the government othdrwise it is certainly not a Merry Christmas

:29:08. > :29:12.or a happy New Year for the people who are most vulnerable to cuts

:29:13. > :29:17.I have some news that might share of the honourable gentleman, and it

:29:18. > :29:22.looks like he might need it. -- share. In Walsall, by 2020, as a

:29:23. > :29:27.result of the settlement recognising as I have said pressure on

:29:28. > :29:28.authorities with social card responsibilities, the resources

:29:29. > :29:39.available to its council in Walsall will increase by 1.5% per ydar. A

:29:40. > :29:43.further 1% of the period. Ydsterday along with my honourable frhend from

:29:44. > :29:46.the reassignment of the leaders from East Sussex County Council to

:29:47. > :29:48.discuss budget plans and prhorities. They will welcome the announcement

:29:49. > :29:54.today focused on longer-terl funding and the recognition but on rule

:29:55. > :29:57.councils. East Sussex has the highest number of 85-year-olds in

:29:58. > :30:01.any county in the country and I believe that my constituencx has the

:30:02. > :30:05.highest amount of 85 runs in the country. Can the Secretary of State

:30:06. > :30:08.give my council further confirmation that it has taken into accotnt the

:30:09. > :30:12.different demands of the local authorities in terms of adult social

:30:13. > :30:16.care? I know my honourable friend's

:30:17. > :30:23.constituency very well, she is my neighbour. I do understand the

:30:24. > :30:25.pressures on adult social c`re, on elderly people, they are

:30:26. > :30:31.significant. She will be pldased to know that in East Sussex, bx 20 0

:30:32. > :30:42.the resources available to the county council will increasd by 1%.

:30:43. > :30:44.My local authority is facing cuts of ?77 million mixture and there will

:30:45. > :30:54.be precious little left to hnvest back into social care costs. -- next

:30:55. > :31:00.year. If my councils to meet the growing demands in social c`re it

:31:01. > :31:03.needs to be able to make sure that extra funds are made available from

:31:04. > :31:10.the savings it can make. Is the Secretary of State called that the

:31:11. > :31:13.funds he has made available means people will not miss out on social

:31:14. > :31:15.care over the next five years? These are decisions with local

:31:16. > :31:20.council but what we have earned the settlement is prioritised those

:31:21. > :31:25.council that have social care responsible did. It is also the case

:31:26. > :31:31.that in his own Borough the reserves his council holds an early one fifth

:31:32. > :31:34.of ?1 billion. They can makd and contribute themselves to medting

:31:35. > :31:38.those costs. The Secretary of State is absent the

:31:39. > :31:41.right that local councils are an struggle to local people. In terms

:31:42. > :31:46.of devolution, as he is aware, there is a lively debate in Yorkshire

:31:47. > :31:49.between a west Yorkshire model and a great Yorkshire model. I wonder

:31:50. > :31:53.whether he can update the House on whether he sees a deal eventually

:31:54. > :31:59.been done. I am very keen to see a deal in

:32:00. > :32:04.Yorkshire, I know that disctssions are at an advanced stage. I don t

:32:05. > :32:11.think it's good to be an early Christmas present. But I have an

:32:12. > :32:16.early in the New Year with the people look tawdry will tod`y: I was

:32:17. > :32:24.in resources that are proper fraud evolution problem.

:32:25. > :32:30.Thank you for calling the e`rlier. I was in after the start of the

:32:31. > :32:43.statement and I did not desdrve to be called in that way. I ask the

:32:44. > :32:45.Minister, in Walsall South, libraries are closing, therd is a

:32:46. > :32:51.disproportionate cut to the public health budget, and it is tickled to

:32:52. > :32:54.recruit and retain social workers. -- tickled. Can he confirm that out

:32:55. > :32:57.of the settlement he has just announced that all the servhces will

:32:58. > :33:02.be protected. There will be no need for the cut? Play model of candour

:33:03. > :33:08.his example should be imitated by all members of the House.

:33:09. > :33:11.I'm very happy to answer thd honourable lady. As I said ly

:33:12. > :33:17.honourable friend the resources available to also increased by %.

:33:18. > :33:23.By 2020. As is of my statemdnt savings will continue to be made in

:33:24. > :33:26.other areas. Right across local government. That is for the councils

:33:27. > :33:32.themselves to make those decisions. But they have the ability now, with

:33:33. > :33:36.for your budgets, the certahnty of for your budget, and the possibility

:33:37. > :33:41.of reform within this for ydars to make savings, too protectivd

:33:42. > :33:42.services, and make sure that elderly and vulnerable people will look

:33:43. > :33:59.after. Can I welcome the statement today?

:34:00. > :34:10.It will increase the amount per head from ?1.10 to ?5 50 from central

:34:11. > :34:17.government grant. We would like to discuss the next steps to ensure

:34:18. > :34:25.that there is a fear settlelent from rural and urban constituenches. I

:34:26. > :34:29.prayed tribute to Maribor friend who has been a persistent and effective

:34:30. > :34:35.campaigner to draw attention to the special costs that the most sparse

:34:36. > :34:40.rural authorities face in providing services. We have gone a long way

:34:41. > :34:48.based on the evidence we have seen to address those needs. I al my

:34:49. > :34:54.friends will be happy to medt him and colleagues to discuss how that

:34:55. > :34:58.will work out in practice. Does the Secretary of State accept the

:34:59. > :35:03.paradox of the statement exdmplified by Man City councillors had a

:35:04. > :35:07.reduction of nearly 50% in hts settled government grants and is

:35:08. > :35:12.2010 is a massive increase hn responsibilities, to put helming

:35:13. > :35:17.adult social care can be picked up by a 2% increase in council tax is

:35:18. > :35:21.obviously a nonsense. He re`lises I'm sure to resolve his dildmma that

:35:22. > :35:27.he should enable as every other western democracy has enabld those

:35:28. > :35:33.local authorities throughout the whole of England to retain `nd raise

:35:34. > :35:39.funds of their own so effectively they can no longer be an agdnt of

:35:40. > :35:42.central government. That surely is the difference between devolution

:35:43. > :35:47.and de-centralisation. P Morgan and most will know that to simply look

:35:48. > :35:56.at central government grants in our -- in an age when local councils

:35:57. > :36:01.will request to be in chargd of their own resources is not the right

:36:02. > :36:04.way to consider it. Look at the total was ushered available,

:36:05. > :36:10.including the business rates revenue that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

:36:11. > :36:16.are doing very well at that moment. Quite rightly attracting more

:36:17. > :36:24.businesses and expanding businesses. That is buoyant source of income for

:36:25. > :36:31.his city. We met local councils yesterday who told us that the

:36:32. > :36:43.lizard devolution bed in cotnties which sees the contribution to the

:36:44. > :36:48.Exchequer's reckons his -- revenue is second only to the City of

:36:49. > :36:52.London. And grateful for thd question. I look forward to

:36:53. > :36:57.discussions with leaders about devolution deals. The settldment

:36:58. > :37:03.were making today does not hnclude the effect of those deals. One of

:37:04. > :37:08.the things I know that has being proposed is the earlier retdntion of

:37:09. > :37:13.business rates. That is somdthing we will consider. I am delightdd such

:37:14. > :37:20.imaginative proposals have been put or. The Secretary of State said he

:37:21. > :37:31.will take account of democr`cy in terms of age. Birmingham, 30% of the

:37:32. > :37:37.population is under the age of 5. When he meets the groups of MPs can

:37:38. > :37:41.we discuss how his settlement will address the special needs of the

:37:42. > :37:46.city. When they have that conversation, she will make the case

:37:47. > :37:52.for Birmingham. The decisions we have made in the spending sdttlement

:37:53. > :37:57.are very much to recognise that on social care pressures it is

:37:58. > :38:03.important to recognise the need to help with some of those pressures.

:38:04. > :38:07.That is what we have done in the settlement we have proposed. While

:38:08. > :38:11.welcoming this excellent st`tement on behalf of the people of

:38:12. > :38:14.Herefordshire, can I ask thd Secretary of State if he will keep a

:38:15. > :38:21.watching brief although he has set four-year budgets because even of

:38:22. > :38:28.these individual counties h`s specific challenges. I will do that,

:38:29. > :38:32.Mr Speaker. One of the advantages of a four-year settlement is that local

:38:33. > :38:39.authorities themselves can prepare for the future and can manage their

:38:40. > :38:45.resources well. Rather than to be subject to what had been from time

:38:46. > :38:50.to time the year-to-year variations in the national government. It

:38:51. > :38:58.provides them with a greater proof against what has been over very many

:38:59. > :39:10.years and uncertainty about what is coming. I welcome his

:39:11. > :39:15.acknowledgement of the crithcism of the better health grant. A xear ago,

:39:16. > :39:18.his department was said to have a limited understanding of local

:39:19. > :39:29.authorities made worse by complexity on devolution. In Public Accounts

:39:30. > :39:35.Committee we looked at existing burdens. What assurance can he give

:39:36. > :39:44.us that he is heeding the ptblic account cash public accounts

:39:45. > :39:49.recommendations to look at financial sustainability with these ctts? She

:39:50. > :39:52.talks about uncertainty as being a source of concern and local

:39:53. > :39:56.government. That is why we have heeded the call is of local

:39:57. > :40:07.government to have the cert`inty of four-year budgets. Enfield Council

:40:08. > :40:08.lays the blame at the foot of government further cuts in social

:40:09. > :40:26.care. Can the Secretary of State confirm

:40:27. > :40:31.that they have the resources and tries to protect the vulner`ble We

:40:32. > :40:37.have responded to what local councils set which is to recognise

:40:38. > :40:41.the importance of social services and his Boro have upper tier and

:40:42. > :40:50.lower tier responsibilities. For those parts of its activitids that

:40:51. > :40:59.are required to discharge in this area, they will benefit. I would

:41:00. > :41:04.like to further the point from my honourable friend for Bristol South

:41:05. > :41:12.because I feel the Secretarx of State did not and so the qudstion.

:41:13. > :41:23.The National Audit Office s`id his department has 11 tape -- lhmited

:41:24. > :41:30.understanding for sustainabhlity. They need to ensure that thd deliver

:41:31. > :41:33.the services for which they are responsible. Could I give the

:41:34. > :41:36.Secretary of State another opportunity, rather than repeating

:41:37. > :41:42.the mantra about a four-year budget, to explain in detail to the House on

:41:43. > :41:46.what work he has done to understand financial sustainability of

:41:47. > :41:52.different authorities beford making the announcement today? Every

:41:53. > :41:57.council has a statutory responsibility and an officdr who is

:41:58. > :42:05.required to report in real-time on the financial sustainabilitx of the

:42:06. > :42:09.councils. I have not receivdd any representations from an offhcer that

:42:10. > :42:14.the council is unviable. We have arrangements in place through the

:42:15. > :42:20.Local Government Association in recent years to provide support for

:42:21. > :42:24.councils that require advicd and assistance. They make that `vailable

:42:25. > :42:31.and expect they want to continue doing that in the future. The

:42:32. > :42:37.Secretary of State is shortly to visit my constituency to discuss

:42:38. > :42:45.issues regarding the local dconomy. Can he expand on how this whll help

:42:46. > :42:49.local authorities in this area? The other challenge facing my atthority

:42:50. > :42:56.as adult social care. Will he agreed to discuss that matter with council

:42:57. > :43:01.leaders? My honourable friend has been a long time campaigner for

:43:02. > :43:08.greater independence and grdater autonomy for local government. I

:43:09. > :43:12.know his counsel will welcole the certainty of a four-year budget I

:43:13. > :43:20.will be happy to meet with him when I come to his constituency. Whatever

:43:21. > :43:25.the Secretary of State says about resources available and resdrves, in

:43:26. > :43:31.Lambeth and elsewhere, the reduction in central government grant by these

:43:32. > :43:37.ministers will lead to cuts in front line services. It is import`nt that

:43:38. > :43:40.those who object to protest and demonstrate against these things

:43:41. > :43:47.peacefully do not do so agahnst our labour councillors forced to make

:43:48. > :43:52.these cuts, but against this Tory government. Protesters should not be

:43:53. > :44:05.doing this government's to work for it by misread repeating blale. How

:44:06. > :44:15.does he expect my borough of Lambeth to carry on when you have already

:44:16. > :44:20.cut so much in the last fivd years. The party opposite said thex wanted

:44:21. > :44:24.to cut local government and in. In the case of Lambeth, against all

:44:25. > :44:29.expectations, we have been `ble to protect the resources avail`ble to

:44:30. > :44:33.his councils so that they whll be able to make the decisions to

:44:34. > :44:49.protect the vulnerable residents as I know they will want to. C`n I

:44:50. > :44:57.defend my .Mac my right honourable friend will be aware there hs

:44:58. > :45:00.concern about monopoly rates for services that are monopolies and

:45:01. > :45:07.councils are increasing thel above and beyond the rate of infl`tion.

:45:08. > :45:10.What action is taking to make sure residents are not overchargdd for

:45:11. > :45:17.services they can't go anywhere to afford? Councils should be dfficient

:45:18. > :45:21.and should pass on efficiency savings to residents. When ht comes

:45:22. > :45:27.to services they charge for, in general the matter should bd cost

:45:28. > :45:31.recovery no more. As they do that, I would expect them to become more

:45:32. > :45:36.efficient and pass on effichency savings. Hartlepool Borough

:45:37. > :45:43.Council's rant has been redtced by 40% over the past five years,

:45:44. > :45:47.equating to a cut in spending power of ?313, twice the national average.

:45:48. > :45:53.Local authority has lost thhs year and occurring years 3.9 million

:45:54. > :45:57.pounds from the business rates of the nuclear power station which

:45:58. > :46:02.previously accounted to a qtarter of all business rates collected in the

:46:03. > :46:08.town. The local authority dhdn't have any power or say over that

:46:09. > :46:15.decision. Retaining 100% of business rates forges the necessary ring is

:46:16. > :46:24.-- links between local succdss and civic success. Given the distinctive

:46:25. > :46:27.nature of the local economy, does he acknowledge this is a real problem

:46:28. > :46:34.for heart the pool and meet with me to discuss ways to map -- mhtigate

:46:35. > :46:39.this massive pressure? Parthcular places, such as that nuclear power

:46:40. > :46:49.station, have a specific impact Are happy to meet with him. The chairman

:46:50. > :46:54.of the business select commhttee will know that businesses h`ve

:46:55. > :47:03.called for a greater connection between local councils and

:47:04. > :47:08.businesses that are part of their area. There is an unbreakable link

:47:09. > :47:12.between businesses and council success. I would have thought that

:47:13. > :47:17.was something he would welcome in his capacity as chairman of the

:47:18. > :47:20.committee. I know the Secretary of State will recognise the unhque

:47:21. > :47:28.challenges of coastal communities where there is an ageing population

:47:29. > :47:35.combined with some of the issues regarding younger populations with

:47:36. > :47:41.particular issues. My honourable friend makes a very good pohnt. He

:47:42. > :47:47.draws attention to the fact that coastal communities like as have a

:47:48. > :47:52.high elderly population and often have child social services needs as

:47:53. > :48:01.well. The settlement direct funding to authorities like is for precisely

:48:02. > :48:07.the region -- reasons he mentions. I should perhaps start by declaring an

:48:08. > :48:11.interest as my wife works for a District Council. The Secretary of

:48:12. > :48:22.State casually strokes off the impact councils will have to do is

:48:23. > :48:26.make by 2020. Well-run councils are having to consider closing new

:48:27. > :48:30.centres and adult social care services are under huge pressure.

:48:31. > :48:35.Does the Secretary of State accept that a shortfall in local government

:48:36. > :48:38.funding risks hitting the most vulnerable first and devolvhng

:48:39. > :48:44.responsibility is to local councils without associated funding simply

:48:45. > :48:45.puts councils in charge of hmplement -- implementing his governmdnt's

:48:46. > :48:55.cuts. I seem to remember working with his

:48:56. > :49:01.colleagues in government who were in favour of decentralisation. I had to

:49:02. > :49:04.say that when I was in the Department in the beginning of the

:49:05. > :49:08.previous government in which his party was a member, the savhngs that

:49:09. > :49:15.were required of local government are higher than in this settlement.

:49:16. > :49:19.Does the Secretary of State agree that the ongoing need to control

:49:20. > :49:26.costs means that it is more important than ever, for local

:49:27. > :49:30.councils to look at innovathve ways of combining back-office functions

:49:31. > :49:34.across local authority boundaries? I would agree with my honourable

:49:35. > :49:37.friend and as I have said throughout the statement, prioritising social

:49:38. > :49:41.care means that savings do need to be made in other parts of the

:49:42. > :49:45.council 's operations. An excellent way to do that is to combind the

:49:46. > :49:54.administrative services between councils across borders. Can I put

:49:55. > :49:57.it to the member for Tunbridge Wells that while the government t`lks

:49:58. > :50:01.about the revival of our grdat cities in the north and the

:50:02. > :50:04.Midlands, this statement follows the long-standing policy of the scrum

:50:05. > :50:09.and nation against the metropolitan boroughs with disproportion`te cuts,

:50:10. > :50:13.not only to council budgets but police and Fire Services as well.

:50:14. > :50:17.Could he now answer the question posed by the Honourable member, the

:50:18. > :50:22.opposition spokesman, as to how he will deal from the dramatic`lly

:50:23. > :50:26.different income levels, to bar is especially those in central London

:50:27. > :50:31.compared to the rest. I would have thought he would take the

:50:32. > :50:35.opportunity, of being here today, to applaud the success of the West

:50:36. > :50:40.Midlands. They have agreed ` devolution deal that will bring

:50:41. > :50:46.?1,000,000,000 of extra resources, into his area. When it comes to the

:50:47. > :50:51.business rates, 100% business rate retention, of course he needs to

:50:52. > :50:55.recognise that there are sole places that would need to contribute.

:50:56. > :51:00.During the months ahead, we would be working with local government, to

:51:01. > :51:07.find the best way to address, those requirements, they are not part of

:51:08. > :51:13.this settlement. That comes in from 19 and 20. I applaud the long-term

:51:14. > :51:18.budgeting that he has brought in but what is not certain is how the %

:51:19. > :51:27.preset will stretch for are`s with very high, very lonely populations

:51:28. > :51:33.like mine. 4.6% of the population of Worthing is over the age of 85

:51:34. > :51:38.alone, what consideration h`s he taken to those additional costs in

:51:39. > :51:43.social care? I understand the point that my honourable friend m`kes We

:51:44. > :51:47.have in moving money within the system, to authorities with social

:51:48. > :51:52.care responsibilities, we h`ve taken account of the pressures thdre. He

:51:53. > :51:58.will want to, to talk about the particular circumstances, of

:51:59. > :52:07.Worthing. I can tell him th`t for West Sussex as a whole, that their

:52:08. > :52:14.funding will increase by 2.8% by 2019- 20, which will providd a big

:52:15. > :52:19.help in meeting these costs. The full integration of health `nd

:52:20. > :52:24.social care here has alreadx identified ?30,000,000 of rdcurring

:52:25. > :52:28.savings, but that still leaves ?40,000,000 to find through other

:52:29. > :52:33.efficiencies. The Chancellor 's social care levy on the council tax

:52:34. > :52:39.only raises ?1.4 million, bdcause of the low council tax base, against a

:52:40. > :52:46.social care shortfall of ?16,000,000. So how much of that

:52:47. > :52:50.extra money, announced todax will Thames side received, not as a

:52:51. > :52:58.percentage in real cash terls, how much of that ?60,000,000 social care

:52:59. > :53:01.gap will he anticipate will be filled? What I can tell the

:53:02. > :53:04.Honourable gentleman is that the allocation of the better care fund

:53:05. > :53:12.is done in a way that is complimentary to the 2%, to

:53:13. > :53:18.recognise what he says is the particular pressure in authorities

:53:19. > :53:22.like his. In answer to his puestion, the package for adult social care

:53:23. > :53:32.including both elements will add nearly ?16,000,000 by 2019- 20.

:53:33. > :53:35.Somerset County Council of which I'm a member has faced very significant

:53:36. > :53:40.challenges over the last few years, both on account of the fact that it

:53:41. > :53:44.is a rule all council, which means it doesn't have

:53:45. > :53:50.as much money and it has had to do with nearly 400 minim pounds worth

:53:51. > :53:53.of debt which the previous Liberal Democrat administration had run up.

:53:54. > :53:58.Can my right honourable fridnd meet with me and with the council

:53:59. > :54:02.leaders, to help to welcome and also talk about how things will work for

:54:03. > :54:11.Somerset in practice over the next 4 years. Indeed my team and I stand

:54:12. > :54:14.ready to discuss the circumstances locally, what I can tell hil is that

:54:15. > :54:20.as a result of this settlemdnt, Somerset will receive an increase in

:54:21. > :54:28.their spending power by 4% by 2 19- 20 which I know will be a bhg help.

:54:29. > :54:35.Jester cancer is seeing its budget cut by Central Bodman to bux

:54:36. > :54:38.?40,000,000, -- Chester Council So I hope that responsibility for the

:54:39. > :54:42.scrapping and cuts will livd fairly at the feet of himself and the

:54:43. > :54:45.Chancellor of the Exchequer. Can I ask him about the new grant

:54:46. > :54:51.particularly in the light of his longer term budgetary proposals I

:54:52. > :54:56.understand that when it was 1st introduced, payments would be made

:54:57. > :55:01.to councils for 6 years and councils have planned their future income on

:55:02. > :55:06.the basis of that. We understand that pigments might only be made for

:55:07. > :55:12.4 years, which would only rdstrict the ability of councils to respond

:55:13. > :55:16.to that. But the Secretary of State just clarify that please? What I

:55:17. > :55:19.will say to the Honourable gentleman is that if he believes that council

:55:20. > :55:23.should be in charge of their own destiny and count on their own

:55:24. > :55:28.resort is, he will need to understand that we are moving into a

:55:29. > :55:32.world, in which councils ard financed locally, not centr`lly He

:55:33. > :55:35.will want time sure to disctss with his counsel how they will m`ke

:55:36. > :55:41.spending decisions. When it comes to the new homes bonus, the good news

:55:42. > :55:45.for councils across the country is that we are continuing the new homes

:55:46. > :55:52.bonus which has been very stccessful as a policy. We are consulthng on

:55:53. > :55:56.some changes including 1 of the options, to reduce from 6 ydars to 4

:55:57. > :56:00.years for new developments. Councils will continue to receive funding

:56:01. > :56:04.that they have expected frol developments that they have

:56:05. > :56:08.approved, and if we do go whth that option, then the funds that are

:56:09. > :56:17.released will be invested in social care. The people of Lincoln show

:56:18. > :56:22.will particularly welcome increased funding for oral sparsely populated

:56:23. > :56:25.areas, but can I ask the Secretary of State that he continues `s he has

:56:26. > :56:31.previously to bear in mind that in areas such as Boston and Skdgness,

:56:32. > :56:36.there is genuine deprivation. Can you tell us a little bit more about

:56:37. > :56:42.what he can do for those ardas of deprivation through means stch as

:56:43. > :56:46.the attendance allowance? Mr Speaker 1 of the things that we will be

:56:47. > :56:52.doing over the years ahead hs to look at what services and

:56:53. > :56:55.responsibilities can be devolved to local councils to recognise the fact

:56:56. > :57:00.that if we are going to devolve 100% of business rates, it is an

:57:01. > :57:04.opportunity to devolve some functions that have previously been

:57:05. > :57:08.in central government. Attendance allowance is something that has been

:57:09. > :57:11.suggested but we will consult on that alongside other servicds that

:57:12. > :57:19.potentially could be in the hands of local councils. Mr Speaker lay I

:57:20. > :57:23.congratulate the Secretary of State on the appointment of his PPS who I

:57:24. > :57:30.had to say has demonstrated the most remarkable level of assiduity, with

:57:31. > :57:36.ripping off crib sheets of dvery single constituency. May I just say

:57:37. > :57:43.for the sake of clarity, Ealing However my question and herd it is,

:57:44. > :57:50.my question is not about he`ling, we have suffered enough. But about the

:57:51. > :57:53.new homes bonus, which has not been markedly successful. The Secretary

:57:54. > :57:57.of State is announcing that he is extending it indefinitely btt at the

:57:58. > :58:01.same time he says he is consulting. Why is he extending before the

:58:02. > :58:07.consultation finishes and what form will the consultation take? I'm very

:58:08. > :58:09.disappointed that the Honourable gentleman is not asking abott

:58:10. > :58:13.healing since I have lots of information about healing, that I

:58:14. > :58:21.could have shared with him. Perhaps I can give it to him another time.

:58:22. > :58:26.On the new homes bonus, we have different options. That is what we

:58:27. > :58:35.are consulting on. I am surd that the select committee will w`nt to

:58:36. > :58:42.give its advice. In Solihull, we have an average age of 43, `s

:58:43. > :58:46.opposed to the UK average of 39 we have an ageing population. The focus

:58:47. > :58:53.on adult social care is particularly welcome. Can I inform my frhends

:58:54. > :58:56.that the specific discussions he has had on funding of social care, what

:58:57. > :59:02.assurance Kenny give the hotsing terms of councils, not using up the

:59:03. > :59:08.22 Ilium pounds reserve bearing in mind it is 6 weeks cash? I'l

:59:09. > :59:13.grateful for my honourable friend 's point, in the case of Solihtll,

:59:14. > :59:17.there will be ?12,000,000 available from the social care packagd for

:59:18. > :59:25.them to use. The great advantage of a 4-year settlement is that reserves

:59:26. > :59:28.can be used to smooth the transition over the spending review period with

:59:29. > :59:31.the certainty and the confidence, that comes from knowing what the

:59:32. > :59:38.budget is again to be for e`ch of those years. Lure Mr Dennis Skinner.

:59:39. > :59:44.In the 50 minutes or hours since he got to his feet, the Ministdr has

:59:45. > :59:51.never once acknowledged that this statement today is set against a

:59:52. > :59:59.background of 4 example dobber share having a 40% cut in its grant a few

:00:00. > :00:03.years ago -- Derbyshire havhng a 40% cut. And they have still not

:00:04. > :00:07.recovered from that ?147,000,00 cut. That is what he doesn't

:00:08. > :00:15.recognise, and I am telling something else in a question, does

:00:16. > :00:23.he understand that this is like a budget statement made by his pal

:00:24. > :00:34.Osborne of them all them poor house variety. -- the Northern poor. He

:00:35. > :00:37.had better glory at being in the few moments in the house becausd by

:00:38. > :00:43.tomorrow and certainly next week, when the details out, peopld will

:00:44. > :00:53.realise it is nothing but another Tory con. The Honourable gentleman

:00:54. > :00:57.is characteristically churlhsh, if he had listened to my statelent he

:00:58. > :01:00.would have seen that I pay tribute to the savings that councils have

:01:01. > :01:04.made and of course they had to make them because we had the biggest

:01:05. > :01:09.deficit in peacetime historx. Buckwheat to us by the partx of

:01:10. > :01:13.which he is a member. What we are doing in this settlement is

:01:14. > :01:18.providing extra resources, to meet the pressures on social services,

:01:19. > :01:22.that have been identified. Hn the case of Derbyshire, it incltdes an

:01:23. > :01:30.increase of nearly ?50,000,000 in funding for adult social care, from

:01:31. > :01:33.the package announced. The statement, the Lord President of the

:01:34. > :01:39.Council and the leader of the house, Mr Chris Grayling. Mr Speakdr with

:01:40. > :01:42.your permission, the governlent has today published Lord Strathclyde's

:01:43. > :01:48.review, secondary legislation and the primacy of the House of Commons.

:01:49. > :01:52.If I might like to thank on behalf of the house, Lord Strathclxde for

:01:53. > :01:54.his work. The Prime Minister asked Lord Strathclyde to carry ott this

:01:55. > :01:58.review after constitutional questions were raised about the

:01:59. > :02:02.primacy of this House of Colmons. There is a balance to be struck

:02:03. > :02:05.between the interest or proper Parliamentary scrutiny and the

:02:06. > :02:10.certainty that government btsiness can be conducted in a reasonable

:02:11. > :02:13.manner and time. The house of lords is a revising chamber with `n

:02:14. > :02:17.important core purpose, to complement the House of Comlons and

:02:18. > :02:21.in doing so the death of public confidence in what the publhc

:02:22. > :02:24.decides. On primary legislation it can fulfil this pub is by asking the

:02:25. > :02:28.House of Commons to think again through the process of what is known

:02:29. > :02:31.as ping-pong. But ultimatelx with the backstop of the Parliamdnt act,

:02:32. > :02:38.the will of the elected house can prevail. This is not the case for

:02:39. > :02:42.secondary legislation whethdr house of lords can only approve or

:02:43. > :02:46.withhold its approval. Given this, Lord Strathclyde was asked hf there

:02:47. > :02:49.was a better way to handle secondary legislation which would givd the

:02:50. > :02:52.elected House of Commons thd decisive way she consulted

:02:53. > :02:59.Parliament Aryans in both houses and from across the political spectrum

:03:00. > :03:04.-- he consulted Parliament @ryans. Full Strathclyde has providdd 3

:03:05. > :03:10.options. Option 1, would relove the house of lords from the strdtch

:03:11. > :03:12.treat instrument procedure altogether, option 2 would retain

:03:13. > :03:24.the present role of this hotse. Option three would create a new

:03:25. > :03:26.procedure in statute. It is a compromise option providing the

:03:27. > :03:30.House of Lords with the ability to ask the House of Commons to think

:03:31. > :03:36.again but would give the final say to the House of Commons, whhch would

:03:37. > :03:44.be achieved by allowing the Commons to overrule the house of lords.

:03:45. > :03:47.North Strathclyde has recomlended the third option. With the

:03:48. > :03:50.involvement of the procedurd committee should review the

:03:51. > :03:57.circumstances in which statttory instrument power should be subjected

:03:58. > :04:00.to Commons only procedures `nd the government ensures the appropriate

:04:01. > :04:05.use of primary and secondarx legislation. The government will

:04:06. > :04:08.need to consider the review in his recommendations -- and his

:04:09. > :04:12.recommendations and will respond fully when we have done so. There

:04:13. > :04:19.will be refusing both houses as to the best way forward and we will

:04:20. > :04:24.listen to those views. We bdgun today by making oral statemdnts in

:04:25. > :04:28.both houses. We are clear all governments benefit from a strong

:04:29. > :04:32.parliament, being held to account and strong scrutiny. As the report

:04:33. > :04:36.highlights, the House of Lords has long played its scrutiny role

:04:37. > :04:40.effectively. We think it important in providing the scrutiny and

:04:41. > :04:46.challenge the elected house should have the decisive say on secondary

:04:47. > :04:50.legislation as well as prim`ry. Such a balance will allow the other house

:04:51. > :04:55.to deliver its core purpose effectively. We will therefore

:04:56. > :05:02.studied the review in detail and respond fully next year. I commend

:05:03. > :05:06.this statement to the house. I am grateful to the leader for `dvance

:05:07. > :05:11.notice of the statement which I received an exemplary fashion before

:05:12. > :05:15.10am this morning. I am grateful. I am afraid that this has all the

:05:16. > :05:22.hallmarks of government by fit of pique. The leader says this review

:05:23. > :05:26.was set up I quote after constitutional questions were raised

:05:27. > :05:31.about the primacy of this elected House of Commons. What Tosh. The

:05:32. > :05:34.only people raising constitttional question is whether Prime Mhnister,

:05:35. > :05:41.Chancellor and leader, who stamped their feet because they did not get

:05:42. > :05:44.their way. They were not protests against the Lords, they werd

:05:45. > :05:50.protesting against the government attempt to cut working tax credits.

:05:51. > :05:55.The truth is this is payback time. It has nothing to do with principle.

:05:56. > :05:58.Maybe the leader of the house himself is smarting from losing more

:05:59. > :06:02.votes in the House of Lords as minister than any minister hn the

:06:03. > :06:07.last Parliament, 24, a quarter of lost votes. The most astonishing

:06:08. > :06:12.thing is how Lord Strathclyde has done an about turn. In 1999 when in

:06:13. > :06:17.opposition, he said of the convention that the Lords dhd not

:06:18. > :06:21.strike down statutory instrtments, I declare this convention dead. Now he

:06:22. > :06:27.wants to resurrect it. Therd is a word for that. Between 2001 and 2010

:06:28. > :06:31.when Lord Strathclyde was Ldader of the Opposition he led colle`gues

:06:32. > :06:36.through the division lobby to defeat the Labour government 390 thmes

:06:37. > :06:40.Including ones on a fatal motion on a statutory instrument. Now he

:06:41. > :06:46.thinks that is a disgraceful way of behaving. There is a word for that.

:06:47. > :06:50.This was meant to be about the financial privilege of the House of

:06:51. > :06:55.Commons. Camberley to confirm this review will make no distinction

:06:56. > :06:58.between secondary legislation where financial privileges concerned and

:06:59. > :07:01.other forms of secondary legislation. What the government is

:07:02. > :07:06.seeking to do is stop the Lords having any right to oppose `ny

:07:07. > :07:09.secondary legislation, whatdver they put through. Does he accept the

:07:10. > :07:15.other problem with secondarx legislation is because it c`nnot be

:07:16. > :07:21.amended each house is asked to say content or not content. No ping pong

:07:22. > :07:27.makes any kind of sense. Thd report does not make sense. It seels to

:07:28. > :07:34.imagine a statutory instrumdnt being sent back to the Commons. The two

:07:35. > :07:38.houses have distinct processes of deciding on secondary legislation.

:07:39. > :07:43.Every piece of secondary legislation depends on a parent act, each

:07:44. > :07:46.specifies whether the regul`tion should be subjected to the

:07:47. > :07:49.affirmative or negative dechsion process or whether there has to be a

:07:50. > :07:57.vote in one or both houses before coming into force. Is the government

:07:58. > :08:03.intending retrospective a moment of each act? There is a simple answer,

:08:04. > :08:08.use less secondary legislathon, and only use it for non-contenthous

:08:09. > :08:14.matters. Not significant matters that dramatically affect hotses in

:08:15. > :08:18.this country. The House of Lords is far from perfect. The Prime Minister

:08:19. > :08:23.has packed it with 240 new lembers faster than any PM in history.

:08:24. > :08:29.Surely it would be wrong to deal with aspects of the powers `nd role

:08:30. > :08:33.of the Lords without considdring the composition of the Lords. Isn't it

:08:34. > :08:36.time we had a constitutional convention and proper reforl? There

:08:37. > :08:42.is a pattern. The government has changed the voting rights in this

:08:43. > :08:45.House, curtailed trade union and voluntary organisations' rights to

:08:46. > :08:52.campaign, make it more diffhcult for the poor to register and we learned

:08:53. > :08:57.they have increased the number of conservative special advisers to 96,

:08:58. > :09:02.costing an additional ?1.6 lillion a year, even as they want to cut the

:09:03. > :09:07.support for opposition scrutiny of this government by 20%. Where there

:09:08. > :09:12.is dissent, they crush it. Where a body opposes them, they neuter it.

:09:13. > :09:17.That is not a Conservative government, respectful of the

:09:18. > :09:22.Constitution, cautious in advancing change, determined to govern for the

:09:23. > :09:27.nation, it is not a Conserv`tive government, in the words of a former

:09:28. > :09:33.leader, Disraeli, it is an organised hypocrisy. Order. The honourable

:09:34. > :09:42.gentleman knows I will not `llow him to use that word he has just use.

:09:43. > :09:48.The very last one. It was words used by Disraeli in this House and I am

:09:49. > :09:51.not maintaining any member has acted hypocritical, but I am saying this

:09:52. > :09:55.set of proposals is an organised hypocrisy. I accept what thd

:09:56. > :10:01.honourable gentleman is sayhng, but the fact Disraeli was also wrong

:10:02. > :10:06.does not make the honourabld gentleman right. I am sure he will

:10:07. > :10:17.find a better way of putting that last sentence he used. What word

:10:18. > :10:21.would you use for it? Madam Deputy Speaker, let me make it cle`r, I am

:10:22. > :10:29.not imputing any sense of dishonourable nurse to any

:10:30. > :10:32.honourable member of this House I am trying to say the governlent is

:10:33. > :10:37.trying to get something through the back door and that is not an honest

:10:38. > :10:41.way of behaving. The honour`ble gentleman is not impugning `ny

:10:42. > :10:47.member of this House, so for the moment I will let him away ht.

:10:48. > :10:52.Leader of the house. It does not feel like we are moving anything

:10:53. > :10:55.through the back door as I `m in the house making a statement, sdtting

:10:56. > :10:59.out a report prepared with options for the government to consider and

:11:00. > :11:03.for the house to debate before any change could happen, if leghslative

:11:04. > :11:13.change were adopted as a result of report. Let's be clear about what

:11:14. > :11:19.happens. This house has an dlected mandate, unlike the House of Lords.

:11:20. > :11:23.How a majority government h`s a democratic mandate to implelent the

:11:24. > :11:28.manifesto, that is what we have sought to do. The conventions that

:11:29. > :11:32.have guided the relationship between the House of Lords and Housd of

:11:33. > :11:36.Commons have existed for a long time and it may be, and they certainly

:11:37. > :11:39.have broken down over the l`st years. It is the view of thd

:11:40. > :11:43.government it is time to re-establish a framework for the

:11:44. > :11:48.relationship between two hotses that reflects that this the elected House

:11:49. > :11:54.of Commons. That is the purpose of the report which sets out three

:11:55. > :11:57.options for us to consider. Of course it makes reference

:11:58. > :12:01.specifically to the issue of financial matters. The Commons has

:12:02. > :12:08.had primacy over financial latters for centuries and there are Commons

:12:09. > :12:12.only SIs on the national matters. What we had this last autumn was the

:12:13. > :12:16.first time a financial mattdr had come before the House of Lords and

:12:17. > :12:21.been rejected. The first tile a fatal motion had been used. Over the

:12:22. > :12:26.previous decades they have hardly been any fatal motion on st`tutory

:12:27. > :12:31.instruments. It is my view on reading the report in many respects

:12:32. > :12:35.it gives the Lords a clearer and broader role in the consideration of

:12:36. > :12:39.secondary legislation while also making it clear the democratically

:12:40. > :12:45.elected chamber has to have the final say. When the shadow leader

:12:46. > :12:49.talks about us using less sdcondary legislation and about the

:12:50. > :12:55.constitution, I look back to my first few years in this House. And

:12:56. > :12:58.yours, since you were electdd in 1997. I have no memory of the

:12:59. > :13:02.shortage of statutory instrtments brought forward under the previous

:13:03. > :13:07.government. I have no memorx of a shortage of appointments by Tony

:13:08. > :13:11.Blair of his friends and cronies to the House of Lords over an dxtended

:13:12. > :13:19.period. I will take no lessons from that side of the house. Thank you.

:13:20. > :13:23.May I welcome my right honotrable friend's statement and join with him

:13:24. > :13:29.in thanking the Lord Strathclyde for his report. The government could not

:13:30. > :13:34.have chosen a safer pair of hands for such an enquiry. And of course

:13:35. > :13:39.it does avoid the question of composition and other aspects of the

:13:40. > :13:42.House of Lords, perhaps that is convenient, but we will havd to

:13:43. > :13:47.address those things. May I welcome the proposal for dealing with this

:13:48. > :13:54.by primary legislation and the political... Constitutional affairs

:13:55. > :13:59.committee will wish to look at this as well as the procedure colmittee.

:14:00. > :14:04.We have questions like how often will this procedure be used, what

:14:05. > :14:10.kind of behaviour of the hotses will we adopt? And on the question of

:14:11. > :14:14.particular statutory instrulents that amend primary legislathon

:14:15. > :14:19.through the so-called Henry VIII clauses, would it be justifhed to

:14:20. > :14:25.use this procedure in respect of those statutory instruments? Would

:14:26. > :14:30.be right to use a ding-dong procedure as opposed to a phng-pong

:14:31. > :14:34.procedure simply to force through an amendment of primary legisl`tion in

:14:35. > :14:39.this way. Can I assure my rhght honourable friend we will look at

:14:40. > :14:43.these matters in detail. I `m grateful to my honourable friend for

:14:44. > :14:47.his comments about the report and work done by Lord Strathclyde. I

:14:48. > :14:50.would expect nothing less of his committee. And indeed of thd

:14:51. > :14:56.procedure committee, both of which will want to express views. In

:14:57. > :15:01.relation to Lord Strathclydd's comments about financial matters, he

:15:02. > :15:05.expresses he made references to work with the committees of the Commons

:15:06. > :15:10.to do that. I look forward to seeing his work on this subject. I think

:15:11. > :15:16.the debate and discussion whll be an important part of shaping a better

:15:17. > :15:19.relationship between the hotses Can I thank the leader for earlx

:15:20. > :15:24.sighting of the statement. Rarely has there been a review of such

:15:25. > :15:31.pointlessness with a prearr`nged outcome is this endeavour in

:15:32. > :15:35.uselessness. In the battle of blue versus Birmingham there was only one

:15:36. > :15:46.victor and it was not the unelected friends down the corridor. ,- blue

:15:47. > :15:51.versus ermine. The house of lords, this government has allowed itself

:15:52. > :15:56.never to be embarrassed by them again. I liked option bold-lacro to

:15:57. > :16:02.a certain part, option one would remove the House of Lords. Why cop

:16:03. > :16:07.we leave it at that get on ht? The House of Lords is perhaps the most

:16:08. > :16:11.absurd, ridiculous legislattre anywhere in the world, stuffed

:16:12. > :16:18.through of unelected cronies, party donors, hereditary 's and Church of

:16:19. > :16:22.England Bishops. Quickly becoming a national embarrassment. The only

:16:23. > :16:25.thing I can take comfort from in the statement is the fact we might start

:16:26. > :16:31.to get rid of the whole ridhculous circus. We are poorly served with an

:16:32. > :16:35.unelected house. The governlent can simply change its rules when it does

:16:36. > :16:40.not do its bidding because ht can and that place is not accountable to

:16:41. > :16:44.anybody. Let's work together. If we need a secondary chamber, ldt's make

:16:45. > :16:50.sure it is equipped with thd 21st century and not the 16th. The

:16:51. > :16:53.honourable gentleman talks `bout prearranged outcomes. I think I

:16:54. > :17:00.could have written his speech in advance. He spoke with his flowing

:17:01. > :17:04.prose. He talks about a pre`rranged outcome for the review. He knows

:17:05. > :17:09.Lord Strathclyde well enough to know he is the last person to be given a

:17:10. > :17:14.script and write a review around it. He has done a lot of work, talk to

:17:15. > :17:17.people and thought about it carefully. I understand the Scottish

:17:18. > :17:21.national position, they do not want the House of Lords but it is not

:17:22. > :17:25.about to disappear and it m`kes sense to ensure the workings between

:17:26. > :17:33.the houses are structured and appropriate and that is what we

:17:34. > :17:38.intend to do. I also welcomd the statement and I wonder if the views

:17:39. > :17:41.of the party opposite would be somewhat different if the other

:17:42. > :17:48.place had blocked a left-wing financial measure rather th`n the

:17:49. > :17:53.measure introduced. May I urge my right honourable friend to give

:17:54. > :17:56.serious consideration to option one. I suspect for different mothves than

:17:57. > :18:06.the honourable gentleman for North person -- Perthshire. Option one has

:18:07. > :18:12.clarity and I fear the other options, although an improvdment,

:18:13. > :18:20.would still be open to diffdrent interpretation. The benches claiming

:18:21. > :18:23.this as happened a lot of thmes this is the first time a financial

:18:24. > :18:29.measure has been blocked ushng the measure that took place in the House

:18:30. > :18:38.of Lords. Whilst my honourable friend and gentlemen opposite may

:18:39. > :18:43.same the -- share the same `ccent I suspect they do not share the same

:18:44. > :18:47.view. We have to consider all three options carefully. We will bring

:18:48. > :18:54.forward proposals in due cotrse I note what he says.

:18:55. > :19:05.It is a pleasure to be here, at the 1st reading of the whistle-blowers

:19:06. > :19:08.lords Bill. I fully support the shadow leader of the house when he

:19:09. > :19:12.used the words disorganised, Epoque received. I have never seen

:19:13. > :19:14.organised hypocrisy and I h`ve never seen anything more disorganhsed

:19:15. > :19:25.other than me making a joke out of it. What we see in Madam Deputy

:19:26. > :19:28.Speaker is crisis management again, fire fighting again instead of

:19:29. > :19:32.having a clear strategy abott what the government wants to do on

:19:33. > :19:36.democracy and constitutional change. We are in the middle of gre`t

:19:37. > :19:41.change, with Scottish devolttion, with the mess around English

:19:42. > :19:48.devolution, and the governmdnt does not quite know what to do so it is

:19:49. > :19:53.doing its bit by bit. So I would urge the shadow leader to bhte the

:19:54. > :19:57.bullet and create a constitttional citizens convention that can look in

:19:58. > :20:01.the round at all of these issues together, whether it involvds the

:20:02. > :20:06.composition of the Lords or how it affects federalism in the United

:20:07. > :20:14.Kingdom, in this devolution, and take a strategic view, rathdr than

:20:15. > :20:17.this constant use real firefight. Madam Deputy Speaker I would use any

:20:18. > :20:22.words to describe the views of the party opposite but I do havd to say

:20:23. > :20:24.that after 13 years, I had ` clear impression that they took

:20:25. > :20:30.constitutional arrangement `nd threw it up in the air and had no idea how

:20:31. > :20:34.it would land. What we are `ctually trying to do is sort out sole of the

:20:35. > :20:39.mess that was left behind. What we are trying to do is to put back some

:20:40. > :20:45.stability in our constitutional arrangements and this is part of

:20:46. > :20:48.doing it. Whatever the catalyst for the noble Lords's workmanlike

:20:49. > :20:53.review, all of us who believe in democracy will have to agred with

:20:54. > :20:58.his conclusions. Will my right honourable friend agree with me that

:20:59. > :21:02.since we are in the business of voting, that it is important that we

:21:03. > :21:08.should try at least to see ourselves as others see us. So that ddmocracy,

:21:09. > :21:13.especially nascent democraches over the world do look aghast at some of

:21:14. > :21:21.the more archaic features of our constitutional arrangements. There

:21:22. > :21:23.is always a case for modernhsation in a Parliamentary will

:21:24. > :21:27.constitutional process. That should continue to be the case, but I do

:21:28. > :21:30.think that the long-standing traditions of this has, the

:21:31. > :21:34.long-standing traditions of constitutional arrangements act

:21:35. > :21:38.surely provide a bedrock to the way that this country works which makes

:21:39. > :21:50.it admired around the world and should continue to be so. I'm afraid

:21:51. > :21:54.that yet again when we need reform, we are being offered piecemdal

:21:55. > :21:58.change by the government today. I deeply regret the way in whhch this

:21:59. > :22:01.has been brought forward, the leader of the house speaks of this as if it

:22:02. > :22:05.is something for the governlent alone. It is not Madam Deputy

:22:06. > :22:11.Speaker, this concerns Parlhament as a whole, this is a process, if

:22:12. > :22:16.change is required, it must be owned by Parliament as a whole. This was

:22:17. > :22:22.last within 2006 in a joint committee report on recommendations,

:22:23. > :22:27.the leader of the house, threatens to drive a coach and horses through

:22:28. > :22:31.that. If he's going to achidve anything, can I say that he will

:22:32. > :22:34.need to reconstitute some sort of joint committee between this house

:22:35. > :22:40.and the other place, otherwhse all his efforts will come to natght It

:22:41. > :22:43.is important to remember th`t I am not trying to drive anything through

:22:44. > :22:48.this house, what we are considering is a report that has been produced

:22:49. > :22:50.by a senior member of the house of lords, with an expert panel, that is

:22:51. > :22:58.drawn from some of the most experhenced

:22:59. > :22:59.past officials. He has brought forward a series of recommendations

:23:00. > :23:06.for us to consider, which we will do when the

:23:07. > :23:10.government makes its own vidw clear about which option to take. It seems

:23:11. > :23:18.entirely right and proper to do this. This latest constituthonal

:23:19. > :23:23.skirmish is another symptom of a 2nd chamber that is far too large and

:23:24. > :23:27.lacks a democratic mandate. Can he say when in this Parliament at last,

:23:28. > :23:31.he will bring forward subst`ntive reforms to make it democrathcally

:23:32. > :23:39.accountable, with clearly ddfined powers. The reason I have not

:23:40. > :23:43.supported in the past, and dlected house of Lords is because I believe

:23:44. > :23:47.that it would create signifhcant constitutional problems for this

:23:48. > :23:52.house. This is a matter that has been considered 3 times since I was

:23:53. > :23:58.1st elected in 2001, this house has not yet reached a clear view. What

:23:59. > :24:02.we do have in the house of lords is an enormous wealth of expertise that

:24:03. > :24:05.adds to the value that we h`ve I think in our democratic process I

:24:06. > :24:09.accept what my honourable friend says about some of the issuds and

:24:10. > :24:14.challenges around the structure and nature of the house of lords, I

:24:15. > :24:22.think right now the best people to make proposals, are the Lords

:24:23. > :24:27.themselves. May I wish you ` happy New Year and Merry Christmas. It is

:24:28. > :24:31.a fine review but it is into the wrong thing, wouldn't he have said

:24:32. > :24:34.and solve the whole trouble if his ministers had gone on a weekend

:24:35. > :24:38.course as to when it was appropriate to use primary legislation `nd when

:24:39. > :24:42.it was appropriate EU secondary legislation, it would have saved us

:24:43. > :24:47.all of this trouble. Absolutely right. I can only say that

:24:48. > :24:50.governments use primary and secondary legislation, we h`d a huge

:24:51. > :24:55.is secondary legislation whdn they were in power. I suspect th`t

:24:56. > :24:59.governments in future will continue to use secondary legislation on a

:25:00. > :25:02.widespread basis, I think that if some of these recommendations are

:25:03. > :25:12.inactive, it will do so in ` more structured and balanced way. Can I

:25:13. > :25:15.echo the words of other members who have spoken and urge my right

:25:16. > :25:18.honourable friend to move forward with a fundamental change to the

:25:19. > :25:23.upper house rather than this tinkering at the edges. Can we

:25:24. > :25:29.please think again has a wax forward, and move towards a mainly

:25:30. > :25:32.elected upper house. I don't imagine we have heard the last of this

:25:33. > :25:36.debate but I had to say to ly honourable friend right now, in

:25:37. > :25:42.terms of enacting our manifdsto and the spending review, right now the

:25:43. > :25:45.legislative priority is to lake a real difference for the country

:25:46. > :25:52.That is what the country expected of us. Is the leader of the hotse aware

:25:53. > :25:56.that what people will recognise certainly outside is that this is 1

:25:57. > :26:03.big sulk because of the dechsion taken by the house of lords on tax

:26:04. > :26:07.credits, they were right. They were sustained in their decision by these

:26:08. > :26:11.benches and by public opinion, and even by some members of the

:26:12. > :26:17.government side. That is thd reason all of this nonsense has cole before

:26:18. > :26:20.us today. The reasons these matters have come before us today is that by

:26:21. > :26:24.general acknowledgement, thd conventions that have existdd for a

:26:25. > :26:28.long time between the house of lords and House of Commons have somewhat

:26:29. > :26:31.broken down and it is time to sort this out, and to bride arrangements

:26:32. > :26:37.that give certainty and continuity to the future. As a new member of

:26:38. > :26:43.this house, I had to say th`t I find the other place a completelx

:26:44. > :26:48.that the people of Somerset are very that the people of Somerset are very

:26:49. > :26:54.confused, as to why it should have any power at all in this pl`ce. I

:26:55. > :26:59.for 1 would rather see a much more wide ranging review, of what is

:27:00. > :27:12.going on with it. I think to limit its powers to only, our powdrs to,

:27:13. > :27:17.it is actually too limited. At the moment what you have got thdre, for

:27:18. > :27:23.example in my constituency, is elected member of this Parlhament,

:27:24. > :27:28.which is me, and 3 appointed residence, all of them Liberal

:27:29. > :27:34.Democrats with no mandate whatsoever, sitting there, claiming

:27:35. > :27:39.?900 a day, to be there. It is a purely political house now, and it

:27:40. > :27:44.is completely unacceptable, that should not have to be electdd. -

:27:45. > :27:51.that it should not to have two be elected. Expresses a sincerdly held

:27:52. > :27:54.view, it is a matter that h`s been debated on many occasions. What I

:27:55. > :27:58.would say to him is that right now the important thing is to m`ke sure

:27:59. > :28:02.that he has the final sale hn these matters and I think as a result of

:28:03. > :28:04.what is set out in the Strathclyde review, we will return to a

:28:05. > :28:14.situation where he does indded have that final stage. As people have

:28:15. > :28:19.been wishing that share happy Christmas, a few of us would say,

:28:20. > :28:21.may the Force be with you. Having watched the dark horse, I'm not

:28:22. > :28:26.referring to the amendments in the other place on the house of lords,

:28:27. > :28:31.can I ask the leader of the house, what impact the procedure hd is

:28:32. > :28:36.introducing today will have on the procedures introduced in thhs house.

:28:37. > :28:39.I would imagine that if you went to the Star Wars movie last night and

:28:40. > :28:42.the Scottish National party Christmas party that he's doing very

:28:43. > :28:46.well to be aired today, that is perhaps why he has got a gl`ss of

:28:47. > :28:52.water in his hand, what I would say to him is that these will not change

:28:53. > :28:59.those procedures. If they m`tter is an English only statutory

:29:00. > :29:05.instrument, it will be in the process. It will be in the process

:29:06. > :29:09.of the statutory entrance. Dvery statutory instrument would operate

:29:10. > :29:16.in a different way in the ftture. It would be for all of them. Ghven the

:29:17. > :29:20.fact that the house of lords barely regards convention these daxs, may I

:29:21. > :29:23.also welcome the statement lade today and the report by Lord

:29:24. > :29:26.Strathclyde, echoing the colments come of many of my honourable

:29:27. > :29:31.friends. Would my rubble frhend agree with me that the 1st option to

:29:32. > :29:35.remove the house of lords from statutory is run procedure would be

:29:36. > :29:42.the best option? I know it was my honourable friend says, and that is

:29:43. > :29:46.a matter that the government will have to take into account. H thank

:29:47. > :29:52.him for his contribution. Mdrry Christmas to you but Deputy Speaker

:29:53. > :29:56.along with everybody in the house. Can I say to the secretary of State,

:29:57. > :30:00.this is a power that the Lords seldom uses, it has been usdd very

:30:01. > :30:03.rarely, a poorly proves why should be there for a house that is

:30:04. > :30:09.required to the government think again. They knew that what the

:30:10. > :30:12.government had claimed that the budget was wrong, and they

:30:13. > :30:16.discovered with hindsight, with the benefit of hindsight, that the

:30:17. > :30:23.claims of the Chancellor th`t people would not be worse off, werd

:30:24. > :30:26.incorrect, and that working families with children would have bedn

:30:27. > :30:30.thousands of pounds per year worse off. It was not just this shde of

:30:31. > :30:33.the house pointing it out, there were a significant number of

:30:34. > :30:36.backbenchers on that side of the house as well. And the lords listen

:30:37. > :30:40.to that and they used that power that they use very rarely, to make

:30:41. > :30:45.the government think again. The chance that came back to thd house,

:30:46. > :30:52.and wanted to be cheered for saying it wasn't ever going to do ht again.

:30:53. > :30:59.They were proven to be corrdct. So the power was proven to be tseful.

:31:00. > :31:02.Therefore, this is just a spat, a tantrum from the government, that

:31:03. > :31:08.they had the temerity to make the government think again. Let us

:31:09. > :31:13.remind the honourable gentldman that the changes he is referring to were

:31:14. > :31:18.voted on and passed 5 times by this elected house. There does come a

:31:19. > :31:22.point where the elected house needs to be able to assert its will. But

:31:23. > :31:31.Strathclyde has recommended a number of options to enable us to do that.

:31:32. > :31:35.I think if we have a revising chamber in the format we have, it

:31:36. > :31:39.still has a role in secondary legislation, much of which hs a more

:31:40. > :31:43.technical nature. I welcome the fact that option 3 is the 1 being chosen.

:31:44. > :31:47.With the leader of the housd confirm, that that would not stop

:31:48. > :31:51.them from looking at the options that make some of the other place

:31:52. > :31:56.the laughing stock, that is to say those that don't attend and those

:31:57. > :31:59.whose reason for being therd has perhaps disappeared. We had to look

:32:00. > :32:04.at all 3 options carefully before we respond, in terms of other latters

:32:05. > :32:09.related to the house of rulds, there has been a push for reform hn the

:32:10. > :32:13.House of Lords in recent ye`rs, and I suspect that we will see further

:32:14. > :32:18.proposals for change over the course of the next few years from that

:32:19. > :32:21.house. But right now, our priority is to implement the manifesto that

:32:22. > :32:29.we were elected on and I thhnk the country expects that of us. I

:32:30. > :32:32.listened very carefully to the leader of the house when he talked

:32:33. > :32:35.about the house of lords giving the public confidence in what P`rliament

:32:36. > :32:40.decides. It will come as no surprise to the leader of the house hf I

:32:41. > :32:44.heard him to seriously conshder the abolition of the house of lords

:32:45. > :32:50.This in my view, would give the public confidence in democr`tic

:32:51. > :32:52.accountability and Ireland remind the leader of the house that the

:32:53. > :32:58.house of Lords is the only legislature in the world with

:32:59. > :33:02.unelected clerics with the dxception of Iran. It is unelected,

:33:03. > :33:07.unaccountable, the public does not have confidence in it, would he

:33:08. > :33:10.please abolish this museum piece, that is filled with cronies and

:33:11. > :33:15.politicians rejected at the ballot box. Madam Deputy Speaker, H

:33:16. > :33:21.suspected he talked to the public about our ways the parliament works,

:33:22. > :33:28.they will say that we have tnelected house, that will have -- and elected

:33:29. > :33:33.house that will have its sax after this.

:33:34. > :33:42.We have people whose job it is to advise and guide the elected house

:33:43. > :33:46.about whether it might be gdtting it wrong and getting it wrong. I think

:33:47. > :33:51.they might form a different view. There are strong opinions. Right

:33:52. > :33:55.now, this is about solving ` structural problem in the

:33:56. > :34:02.relationship between the two houses and Lord Strathclyde has given three

:34:03. > :34:06.sensible options to work with. Surely the episode that gavd rise to

:34:07. > :34:10.the report was an example of Parliament functioning as it is

:34:11. > :34:14.supposed to. The Chancellor has since tried to take the credit for

:34:15. > :34:18.the change. Will the leader not accept... I think the majorhty of

:34:19. > :34:23.his honourable friends do, that the other place was right on tax

:34:24. > :34:27.credits? What really happendd is the Chancellor was in a position having

:34:28. > :34:34.set out tough decisions we said we would take, and we have been clearer

:34:35. > :34:38.discovered the public finances were Chancellor was able,

:34:39. > :34:42.discovered the public finances were doing better because of the success

:34:43. > :34:50.of his policies, to not takd some of those difficult decisions, `nd that

:34:51. > :34:53.is a good thing. Since I was elected democratically, there have been 62

:34:54. > :35:04.new lords appointed in the other place including 11 Liberal Democrats

:35:05. > :35:15.lords, more liberal -- Liberal Democrat lords span elected MPs --

:35:16. > :35:20.van elected MPs. We have cole clean and we will get Lord Strathclyde to

:35:21. > :35:26.come with option four, to continue stuffing the other place with

:35:27. > :35:30.cronies and donors. I know his party believes in abolishing the House of

:35:31. > :35:35.Lords and uses the language of cronies and donors but if you looks

:35:36. > :35:38.at the Lord Sewel fight people who have contributed and achievdd great

:35:39. > :35:41.things for society and have a role to play in advising the elected

:35:42. > :35:59.house on the final decisions it takes. The removal of the vdto from

:36:00. > :36:04.the Lords affected -- effectively removes the most expensive think

:36:05. > :36:08.tank in history. How could `nyone justify spending such a disgraceful

:36:09. > :36:14.amount of taxpayers' money on an impotent talking shop? Surely it

:36:15. > :36:18.prevents the ideal opportunhty to abolish the Lords and have `

:36:19. > :36:22.democratically elected second chamber. I welcome any

:36:23. > :36:29.recommendation that seeks to remove legitimacy from an instituthon that

:36:30. > :36:33.lacks any. It does not go f`r enough. The Scottish Nation`l Party

:36:34. > :36:40.are both consistent but not shy on their views of the House of Lords.

:36:41. > :36:44.They are not alone in this House on sharing views on the House of Lords

:36:45. > :36:49.but our priority is to get on with the job of sorting out the less we

:36:50. > :36:54.inherited in 2010. We still have further to go. Our priority should

:36:55. > :37:01.be about delivering the rest of the changes that will transform this

:37:02. > :37:06.country. Point of order. Very quickly, a number of colleagues are

:37:07. > :37:11.here for the two debates later, the first debate I understand there may

:37:12. > :37:13.be a number of speakers and it is a time-limited debate and every

:37:14. > :37:18.colleague who wishes to spe`k would get in if there were some rough

:37:19. > :37:23.guidance from the chair that ten minutes for back and front benches

:37:24. > :37:28.would allow everyone to makd the point in the debate. The honourable

:37:29. > :37:33.gentleman makes a reasonabld point. I will be considering how mtch time

:37:34. > :37:40.is available and how many pdople indicate they wish to speak. I would

:37:41. > :37:45.say to the house that when the house is operating at its best, there

:37:46. > :37:48.should be no need for me to set a formal time limit because all

:37:49. > :37:56.honourable members ought to be courteous to all other honotrable

:37:57. > :37:59.members and limit their rem`rks to a reasonable amount of time, which is

:38:00. > :38:06.usually less than ten minutds, as the honourable gentleman suggests.

:38:07. > :38:10.Point of order. On the 21st of July I ask the Secretary of Statd for

:38:11. > :38:15.Defence how many UK troops were embedded with the US and other

:38:16. > :38:19.countries' forces and whethdr or not they were paid from the Dep`rtment

:38:20. > :38:23.for International Development budget. In September I was told the

:38:24. > :38:27.department was compiling an answer and I chased that answer in November

:38:28. > :38:33.and I have still not receivdd it, five months after my origin`l

:38:34. > :38:37.question. Surely members deserve timely answers to questions and more

:38:38. > :38:41.importantly, we need to unddrstand the role the troops are plaxing on

:38:42. > :38:45.the ground across the world and which arm of government is paying

:38:46. > :38:54.for that involvement. As thd honourable lady knows, the way in

:38:55. > :38:58.which departments and ministers organise their answers to qtestions

:38:59. > :39:06.by members is not, of coursd, a matter for the chair. I will repeat

:39:07. > :39:10.happily to the house what Mr Speaker and his predecessors have s`id for

:39:11. > :39:14.many years, that ministers lust answer questions from members of

:39:15. > :39:20.Parliament in a timely and reasonable fashion. I understand the

:39:21. > :39:24.procedure committee is lookhng into this matter because this is not the

:39:25. > :39:29.first time and I'm sure it will not be the last that a member h`s no

:39:30. > :39:35.alternative but to ask for the intervention of the chair in this

:39:36. > :39:39.matter. At the same time, I am sure the Treasury bench will havd heard

:39:40. > :39:43.what the honourable lady has said, will have heard what I have said,

:39:44. > :39:48.and I would expect the honotrable made each should have a proper

:39:49. > :39:54.answer to her question as soon as possible. No more points of order,

:39:55. > :40:04.we come to presentation of Bills. we come to presentation of Bills.

:40:05. > :40:08.Mrs Caroline Spelman. Marri`ge registration bill. Second rdading,

:40:09. > :40:17.what day? Friday the 22nd of January. We now come to the first

:40:18. > :40:24.backbench business motion on protecting 16 and 17-year-olds from

:40:25. > :40:29.child sexual exploitation. Lr Kitt Malthouse. Madam Deputy Spe`ker I

:40:30. > :40:35.beg to move the motion as on the order paper in relation to the

:40:36. > :40:39.sexual exploitation of 16 and 17-year-olds. Over the past few

:40:40. > :40:45.weeks it has been said a nulber of times that our success is mdasured

:40:46. > :40:50.by how we defend the vulner`ble We have seen too clearly over the past

:40:51. > :40:55.years that children fall into this category. On the subject of this

:40:56. > :40:59.debate, the horrendous crimd of child sexual exploitation, our first

:41:00. > :41:05.instinct is to recoil and the next to hide them away, wrapped tp so no

:41:06. > :41:10.harm could come to them. But hiding from the problem because it is too

:41:11. > :41:15.grisly or more impossibly stopping children growing up would bd the

:41:16. > :41:20.markers of neither a brave society, lawmakers or parents. As well as

:41:21. > :41:26.recognising they are vulner`ble our approach must be to recognise

:41:27. > :41:30.children are fully fledged `dults in waiting, steadily gaining experience

:41:31. > :41:33.and mental development they need to take up their rights and

:41:34. > :41:36.responsibilities. The protection of children and maintenance of the

:41:37. > :41:42.environment in which they c`n grow therefore go hand-in-hand. On the

:41:43. > :41:47.whole we do this well for most children. Even though we nedd to

:41:48. > :41:55.think hard about technology, the internet, social media and cultural

:41:56. > :41:59.issues and academic pressurds. Our efforts to protect them and maintain

:42:00. > :42:02.a healthy environment run into the greatest difficulty at the dnd of

:42:03. > :42:09.childhood, the transition to adulthood between 16 and 18 and on

:42:10. > :42:16.the issue of sex. It is a thme of life that requires nuance. @ nuance

:42:17. > :42:22.that does not come easily indoors that must deal imprecision `nd

:42:23. > :42:26.definites. We have an age of consent for sexual activity and we `re not

:42:27. > :42:32.suggesting this is changed, but we do is start the debate in the light

:42:33. > :42:37.of The Children's Society rdport that shows we do not get thd balance

:42:38. > :42:42.right in the case of sexual exploitation in the case of 16 and

:42:43. > :42:46.17-year-olds. The report published by the group highlights the

:42:47. > :42:49.vulnerability of that age group and awkwardness that exists between the

:42:50. > :42:54.fact they are children, thehr position over the age of consent,

:42:55. > :42:59.and expectations society has of them. The motion we are deb`ting

:43:00. > :43:02.looks at what we can do in xour to better protect them from behng

:43:03. > :43:07.exploited without changing the age of consent. In particular, we are

:43:08. > :43:14.looking at the potential role that aggravated offences could h`ve been

:43:15. > :43:25.better to -- better stopping exploitation. If we can clarify for

:43:26. > :43:30.sentencing person the guidance of the judges and juries on thd role of

:43:31. > :43:34.drugs, alcohol, mental-health problems, learning disabilities and

:43:35. > :43:38.being in care have in adding to the vulnerability of this age group I

:43:39. > :43:41.believe we can achieve progress We suggest that powers the polhce

:43:42. > :43:46.possess that enable them to intervene when a child under 16 is

:43:47. > :43:52.in danger should be extended to situations when a child over 16 is

:43:53. > :43:57.under threat. I cannot stress enough how necessary basis. I suspdct I do

:43:58. > :44:01.not need to do so for those present today. At this age, abuse and

:44:02. > :44:08.exploitation can cause damage that can last a lifetime. Shaping how a

:44:09. > :44:13.child grows to see the world and themselves. They will see the world

:44:14. > :44:17.as hostile and threatening. They will cling to any security `nd

:44:18. > :44:21.affection, no matter how bad it is for them. A vulnerability m`ny

:44:22. > :44:26.predators exploiting the first place. It risks them for evdr seeing

:44:27. > :44:31.themselves as a victim Tim or someone who cannot take the risk to

:44:32. > :44:35.trust anyone. It can stop them ever becoming a healthy independdnt

:44:36. > :44:39.adult. We know from research that they can end up feeling likd they

:44:40. > :44:44.deserve this abuse and on occasion juries have not taken the f`ct of

:44:45. > :44:48.vulnerability seriously enotgh. They refuse to recognise the fact child

:44:49. > :44:53.was over the legal age of consent did not mean their attacker was not

:44:54. > :44:59.guilty of sexual exploitation. When they did this, they failed `nd

:45:00. > :45:03.betrayed these young people. All sexual crimes are serious. However I

:45:04. > :45:07.hope we can agree those comlitted against children are doubly cruel.

:45:08. > :45:13.That is why we must achieve changes in the law. While these changes

:45:14. > :45:17.would protect all 16 and 17-year-olds this is pressing in the

:45:18. > :45:23.case of children in care. I expect all members agree that we could do

:45:24. > :45:28.better for them. The Prime Linister has said as much. He noted that

:45:29. > :45:38.children in care today are `lmost guaranteed to live in poverty. 4%,

:45:39. > :45:44.84% leaving school without five good GCSEs. He noted 70% of prostitutes

:45:45. > :45:48.were in care and tragically care leavers are four times more likely

:45:49. > :45:54.to commit suicide than anybody else. We cannot go on setting up these

:45:55. > :45:59.children for life on the streets, unable to find work, or an darly

:46:00. > :46:06.grave. Please God the Prime Minister makes progress on this issud. His

:46:07. > :46:15.remarks so far are music to my ears but would he agree that... Share

:46:16. > :46:19.with media experience I had when I chaired the committee and looked at

:46:20. > :46:24.children in care. He is right about vulnerability. Would he agrde that

:46:25. > :46:31.access to therapeutic care for those children at a crucial time was often

:46:32. > :46:37.not there? I would agree with the honourable gentleman. Progrdss needs

:46:38. > :46:43.to be made in all manner of policy areas to deal with this. Pldase God

:46:44. > :46:47.the Prime Minister, who I think is making a statement after Christmas

:46:48. > :46:51.about children in care, makd some progress. Their vulnerability to

:46:52. > :46:56.sexual exploitation is an area where we can stop failing them now. Their

:46:57. > :47:03.characteristics mean this group of young people are in need of changes

:47:04. > :47:08.today to protect them. Whild most children's vulnerability is shielded

:47:09. > :47:12.by family, friends and the support network through good communhties and

:47:13. > :47:16.schools, these children are not so fortunate. Their backgrounds are

:47:17. > :47:21.chaotic, frightening or crudl. Putting them in an almost hopeless

:47:22. > :47:25.situation. Combine this with the fact there is no one actively

:47:26. > :47:30.looking out for them and it becomes clear they are easy prey for evil

:47:31. > :47:35.people. We have seen from c`se notes this background is so often part of

:47:36. > :47:42.the trajectory of an abused child, one that sees an abused vulnerable

:47:43. > :47:46.child become a troubled adults. The Children's Society report shows

:47:47. > :47:50.these predators target thesd children systematically and lie in

:47:51. > :47:53.wait close to where they live, study or socialise. They stalk thdm on

:47:54. > :47:58.social media and offered thdm everything the child has missed

:47:59. > :48:04.isolate them from adults who would intervene, ply them with drhnk and

:48:05. > :48:08.drugs, and then strike. Every time they are successful, they nded a

:48:09. > :48:14.life in tatters. Every time they fail, they just move on the next

:48:15. > :48:18.target. In the past years wd have seen several sickening cases of

:48:19. > :48:23.hundreds of children targetdd, both by gangs and predatory individuals.

:48:24. > :48:26.These cases of exploitation sometimes occurred in collusion with

:48:27. > :48:30.or at least in the knowledgd of those who should have been caring

:48:31. > :48:34.for them. In some of those cases those responsible for the children

:48:35. > :48:39.or the police wanted to intdrvene but lacked authority or confidence

:48:40. > :48:44.to do so. Right now, police, children's services and the courts

:48:45. > :48:47.lock on without the legal tdeth or power to stop it. Some will think of

:48:48. > :48:50.high profile cases like Rotherham will stop at this is not a problem

:48:51. > :49:02.with one demographic. Child sexual exploitation effects

:49:03. > :49:07.and is exploited by all racds colours and creeds. The papdrs focus

:49:08. > :49:10.on the big cases but there `re thousands of individuals whose lives

:49:11. > :49:15.have been turned upside down by these crimes. As I have said Madam

:49:16. > :49:22.Deputy Speaker, these children don't have parents who can look after them

:49:23. > :49:26.or it is our duty to be that parents. We, ask, you me have two be

:49:27. > :49:30.the arms that catch them if they fall and the voices calling them

:49:31. > :49:36.back when they wander and stray Right now, too often we fell them,

:49:37. > :49:40.just when they need us most. More broadly I believe that thesd issues,

:49:41. > :49:44.that we are discussing todax, point to a wider problem in the w`y that

:49:45. > :49:48.we protect children. To reflect the importance of ending this n`tional

:49:49. > :49:52.scandal, it is time that we tilt the law, size of Lee in favour of the

:49:53. > :49:56.children. And those who wish to protect them, not just in this

:49:57. > :49:59.instance but across the board. In the context of thinking abott

:50:00. > :50:07.protected groups, it seems strange to me that children are not amongst

:50:08. > :50:09.them. Gay people are, minorhty racial groups, religious groups are

:50:10. > :50:15.all protected specifically hn law. And it is right that they are.

:50:16. > :50:20.Children are not, they should be, we have two had them as a category for

:50:21. > :50:25.special protection. To at ldast send a signal to society and the justice

:50:26. > :50:28.system that more effort is required, and the up-and-coming polichng and

:50:29. > :50:34.criminal Justice Bill offers just such an opportunity. On the distinct

:50:35. > :50:38.matter of child sexual exploitation, the crux is that 16 and 17

:50:39. > :50:42.-year-olds are not protected in the same weight because they ard over

:50:43. > :50:46.the age of consent. Children under 16 are already protected by the fact

:50:47. > :50:50.that they cannot consent to sex and rightly harsher sentencing that

:50:51. > :50:56.exists due to this is a strong deterrent. Sexual crimes ag`inst

:50:57. > :50:59.children under 16 are furthdr deterred, by powers to intervene

:51:00. > :51:07.when somebody is targeting them or grooming them for exportation. These

:51:08. > :51:11.include, the child abduction warning notices, we should take notd of this

:51:12. > :51:16.deterrence and extend this power up to 18. There is already backing for

:51:17. > :51:20.this extension, in 2012, thd office for the children's Commissioner

:51:21. > :51:24.asked for them to be served without parental consent where necessary,

:51:25. > :51:30.there is solid statistical backing for this change too, in 2012-13

:51:31. > :51:34.there were 306,000 incidents of missing persons

:51:35. > :51:41.in England, Scotland and Wales. Children accounted for 64% `nd 5-

:51:42. > :51:48.17 euros were the most common missing persons, accounting for 36%

:51:49. > :51:51.of such persons. In one third of the cases the police did not have enough

:51:52. > :51:56.powers to intervene to protdct a child and that must change. The fact

:51:57. > :52:00.that 16 and 17-year-olds ard still children and that children `re

:52:01. > :52:06.vulnerable and likely to be targeted is enough to warrant extendhng these

:52:07. > :52:11.protections to them. One more intervention, does he share my

:52:12. > :52:15.misgivings, and I will make this a very unpopular on these benches for

:52:16. > :52:20.having this, introducing a vote on 16 really is a move towards adult

:52:21. > :52:24.hood at 16, which will reinforce the problem that we have, that the

:52:25. > :52:29.shrinking of childhood is something that we must be very careful about,

:52:30. > :52:37.especially that the length of time that URA child, of your verx long

:52:38. > :52:42.life becomes shorter and shorter? I thank the honourable gentlelan for

:52:43. > :52:49.that, I know that the house is to fight it about 16 or 17, my personal

:52:50. > :52:54.view is 18. I am trying to illustrate that the dossiers between

:52:55. > :52:58.sexual consent and legal majority is a particular zone of childhood that

:52:59. > :53:03.requires particular attention from a legal and Parliamentary point of

:53:04. > :53:07.view. But aside from all of those issues, we have two consider the

:53:08. > :53:10.psychological impact that the lack of protection has on societx, it

:53:11. > :53:14.makes people think that these children should not have thd

:53:15. > :53:17.protection, not really vulndrable and that they are in the words very

:53:18. > :53:24.deliberately chosen by the Children's Society in the rdport

:53:25. > :53:27."Old enough to know better". Furthermore it is because they lack

:53:28. > :53:32.these protections and are above the age of consent, they are likely to

:53:33. > :53:35.be denied justice and why predators are lurid towards them. This issue

:53:36. > :53:38.that they are above the leg`l consent has had a big psychological

:53:39. > :53:41.impact on how people have interpreted the crimes commhtted.

:53:42. > :53:46.There is evidence that jury 's have There is evidence that jury 's have

:53:47. > :53:50.lacked sympathy with their cases, their vulnerability and the cruel

:53:51. > :53:50.effectiveness of grooming is not well understood across the

:53:51. > :53:55.population. Attackers are aware of population. Attackers are aware of

:53:56. > :54:03.the public 's complacency. Too many people focused too hard... By all

:54:04. > :54:09.means. I thank the honourable member for giving way in his important

:54:10. > :54:14.contribution. On that very topic of public attitudes and public

:54:15. > :54:17.misperceptions, is he aware of the case of Maria, who bravely came

:54:18. > :54:23.forward to the authorities `nd eventually to the media with her

:54:24. > :54:28.story of abuse within the rdpublican movement and how she was suppressed.

:54:29. > :54:32.Ever since the BBC reveals her story, she has been subject to

:54:33. > :54:34.punishment tweeting by Sinn Fein supporters and politicians who

:54:35. > :54:43.precisely have cast a slur at what age she was and

:54:44. > :54:49.how somehow she was guilty `nd complicit? I thank the honotrable

:54:50. > :54:54.gentleman, I am sad to say H do not know the particular case but he

:54:55. > :54:58.makes a powerful point. It hs so obvious that it shouldn't nded

:54:59. > :55:04.stating, but I will anyway, because when it is intellectually understood

:55:05. > :55:07.people still aren't getting it. Not fighting someone off, not objecting

:55:08. > :55:13.vociferous league will not attempting to remove oneself on the

:55:14. > :55:17.situation does not equal consent. This is even more obvious when we

:55:18. > :55:22.look at the factors that have come before the courts. We are t`lking

:55:23. > :55:25.about victims with mental hdalth problems and learning disabhlities.

:55:26. > :55:30.We are talking about childrdn recovering from trauma, takhng drink

:55:31. > :55:33.or drugs or alcohol. So that they would submit, complacency on this

:55:34. > :55:38.matter is the biggest encouragement that the attackers look for. It

:55:39. > :55:43.needs to be clear in the law that these children are to be considered

:55:44. > :55:47.vulnerable, and that the targeting of vulnerable people never be

:55:48. > :55:51.excepted in the United Kingdom. All of this points to the fact that the

:55:52. > :55:55.sudden removal of protection at 16 is not working and we can protect

:55:56. > :56:00.children better with our actions in this house. To reiterate wh`t it is

:56:01. > :56:03.we are asking for, the government must give clarification and put in

:56:04. > :56:09.statute that when he victim of sexual salt is aged 16 or 17, this

:56:10. > :56:16.is an aggravated offence. It must clarify that drugs or alcohol must

:56:17. > :56:20.never be seen as part of consent for a sexual act, and it must rdcognise

:56:21. > :56:25.that vulnerable people are deliberately targeted and it must be

:56:26. > :56:29.further considered as an aggravating condition. Passing this mothon will

:56:30. > :56:33.move us forward to doing a better job in helping parents, polhce and

:56:34. > :56:38.charred protection services, we must do so. I do not advocate thdse

:56:39. > :56:41.reforms as a conservative btt as a father and a member of Parlhament,

:56:42. > :56:45.and I believe it is in that spirit that other honourable members

:56:46. > :56:51.joining us today also back this motion. As we do that, we l`y claim

:56:52. > :56:55.to the best traditions of social reform, that Britain within and

:56:56. > :57:00.without, every party in this house can lay claim to this. The lost

:57:01. > :57:02.honourable of political traditions, the tradition that looks thd

:57:03. > :57:07.vulnerable in the eye and s`ys that I will use my good fortune `nd

:57:08. > :57:11.power, that society has givdn me to protect you. I say this bec`use when

:57:12. > :57:14.it comes to this kind of reform I don't believe that any membdr is

:57:15. > :57:25.sitting on a particular sidd of the house. The question is as on the

:57:26. > :57:30.order paper, Patricia Gibson. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker, I am

:57:31. > :57:35.grateful, on this debate. Focus on this debate could not be more

:57:36. > :57:37.serious. Detecting our young people from sexual exploitation as they

:57:38. > :57:43.make the transition from chhldhood to adulthood, must be a priority of

:57:44. > :57:48.this house. It goes to the heart of the kind of values that we have the

:57:49. > :57:51.value that we place on our xoung people, the value we place on

:57:52. > :57:59.protecting the honourable, the values we have on dignity and

:58:00. > :58:03.fairness and consent. Child sexual exploitation is abhorrent, `nd can

:58:04. > :58:06.have devastating and lifelong consequences on those who are

:58:07. > :58:11.victims of it as well as thd effects on their families and those closest

:58:12. > :58:17.to them. It is, It Must Be Faith fundamental right for all children,

:58:18. > :58:21.for all young people, to be cared for and protected from harm, and to

:58:22. > :58:25.grow and thrive in an environment where they feel safe, and where

:58:26. > :58:29.their rights are respected. As outlined, by the UN Conventhon on

:58:30. > :58:38.the rights of the child that applies to all young people up to the age of

:58:39. > :58:44.18 years old. Yet the report "Old enough to know better" makes for

:58:45. > :58:49.truly harrowing reading. As members of this house will know, thd

:58:50. > :58:54.Children's Society report examines why older teenagers are particularly

:58:55. > :58:58.at risk of child sexual victimisation, the extent to which

:58:59. > :59:03.16 and 17-year-olds are pictured of sexual offences, and the report

:59:04. > :59:05.considered why we find it so very difficult to disclose their

:59:06. > :59:13.experiences and access help and support. What we know is th`t the

:59:14. > :59:19.justice system is not always as kind and supportive as it should be, to

:59:20. > :59:26.victims of sexual crimes. How much more true is that of our yotng and

:59:27. > :59:29.vulnerable? Of course the l`w recognises that those in thhs age

:59:30. > :59:35.range can legally consent to sexual racial ships, but under the children

:59:36. > :59:41.act of 1989, they are still considered children, and as such,

:59:42. > :59:49.professionals, indeed wider society have a legal duty to safegu`rd these

:59:50. > :59:52.young people from exploitathon. We'll 16 and 17-year-olds continue

:59:53. > :59:57.to be protected from sexual abuse within the family or from a position

:59:58. > :00:04.in trust, or sexual exploit`tion offences. They simply and

:00:05. > :00:08.appallingly, do not receive the same kind of protections as younger

:00:09. > :00:14.children. If they are targeted for sexual abuse, by predatory `dults.

:00:15. > :00:19.This is shocking, and is put sharply into focus by the Children's Society

:00:20. > :00:24.report, that shows that 16 `nd 17-year-olds are more likelx to be

:00:25. > :00:28.victims of rape or sexual offences, than any other age group. That is a

:00:29. > :00:36.situation that demands our considered response. Just as we find

:00:37. > :00:40.it appalling and evil when xoung children are sexually explohted

:00:41. > :00:43.mistreated and abused, so too we should be outraged when those going

:00:44. > :00:51.through the transition from adult hood, from childhood to adulthood,

:00:52. > :00:54.faced such exploitation. It is concerning, that it seems

:00:55. > :00:59.professionals are more likely to see those in the age range of 16 and 17,

:01:00. > :01:04.as complicit in their own exploitation. Which shows a failure

:01:05. > :01:10.to understand the targeted `nd intense nature of grooming. And

:01:11. > :01:15.often mistaking consent for drinking alcohol or participating in risky

:01:16. > :01:18.behaviours as consent to having sex. Clearly more training needs to be

:01:19. > :01:22.carried out for professional so that the young people who need stpport

:01:23. > :01:28.and understanding not to mention justice, receive it. Pointing to the

:01:29. > :01:32.age of legal sexual consent, cannot be a means by which we fail to live

:01:33. > :01:38.up to our collective duty to protect our young people on the thrdshold of

:01:39. > :01:44.adult hood. In England and Wales, there is no specific offencd of

:01:45. > :01:48.child sexual exportation, that is something worthy of examination In

:01:49. > :01:53.Scotland, the definition of child sexual exportation is "Any

:01:54. > :01:58.involvement of a child or young person

:01:59. > :02:04.below 18 years in sexual activity in which remuneration in cash or kind

:02:05. > :02:09.is given to the youngest person or a third person or persons. Thd

:02:10. > :02:15.perpetrator will have power over the child by nature of one of the

:02:16. > :02:20.following, age, emotional m`turity, gender, physical strength,

:02:21. > :02:27.intellect and economic, for instance access to drugs." Under Scots law

:02:28. > :02:33.there is specific protection for those aged 16 and 17 who ard at risk

:02:34. > :02:36.for exploitation, with offences specifically to protect that

:02:37. > :02:40.particular demographic. The offence of the sexual abuse of trust makes

:02:41. > :02:42.it a criminal offence for someone in Scotland for a person in a

:02:43. > :02:47.recognised position of authority to engage in sexual activity whth

:02:48. > :02:52.anyone under the age of 18 hn their care. The protection of children and

:02:53. > :02:58.prevention of sexual offencds Scotland act 2009, makes it a cruel

:02:59. > :03:03.offence to involve children in child pornography, and extends protection

:03:04. > :03:05.against indecent images to 06 and 17-year-olds and provides for

:03:06. > :03:11.restrictions to be placed on sex offenders. The Scottish Govdrnment

:03:12. > :03:14.introduced Scotland's National action plan to tackle child

:03:15. > :03:18.exploitation which represents a comprehensive and ambitious strategy

:03:19. > :03:22.for addressing this very colplex challenge.

:03:23. > :03:29.Getting it right is a stratdgy to improve outcome in Scotland's public

:03:30. > :03:34.services that support the wdll-being of children and young peopld and

:03:35. > :03:39.this is part of the framework for responding to sexual exploitation

:03:40. > :03:44.and will apply to young people up to 18 years old. This as well `s sex

:03:45. > :03:49.offender community disclosure scheme is also offers protection for 1 and

:03:50. > :03:54.17-year-olds and the keeping children safe scheme enables parents

:03:55. > :03:58.and guardians of those under 18 to make a formal request for dhsclosure

:03:59. > :04:01.of information about a named person who may have contact with their

:04:02. > :04:07.child if they are concerned they might be a registered sex offender.

:04:08. > :04:14.The Scottish Government will launch a campaign to raise awareness of

:04:15. > :04:20.child sexual exploitation ndxt year. This high profile campaign will be

:04:21. > :04:26.aimed primarily at parents `nd carers and those aged betwedn 1 and

:04:27. > :04:29.17 years old. It will include TV advertising and posters, whhch will

:04:30. > :04:35.run for a three-week period. In addition, partnership materhal is

:04:36. > :04:40.being developed to reach a xouth audience and a campaign website is

:04:41. > :04:45.being developed to highlight the risks as well as offering advice and

:04:46. > :04:51.support. A practitioner's toolkit will be available on the website.

:04:52. > :04:56.Interested parties will be `ble to download material for use in

:04:57. > :05:00.communities. We must continte to be vigilant in the protection of young

:05:01. > :05:04.people, wherever they live hn the UK. The Scottish Government has done

:05:05. > :05:09.much good work in this area, but there can be no room for colplacency

:05:10. > :05:14.and we must always examine protections offered with a critical

:05:15. > :05:19.eye to ensure they continue to offer protection for all young people

:05:20. > :05:23.including those in the 16 and 17-year-old age bracket. I will not

:05:24. > :05:31.stand here today and argue that in Scotland we think it is job done. We

:05:32. > :05:37.must continue to be vigilant, as are those who would exploit young

:05:38. > :05:41.people, and as the honourable member for North West Hampshire pohnted

:05:42. > :05:45.out, those in care are at p`rticular risk. I believe the Children's

:05:46. > :05:50.Society has called for incrdasing the age for the application of child

:05:51. > :05:55.abduction warning notices, `nd that is sensible. It is my hope lembers

:05:56. > :05:59.can learn from the good work undertaken by the Scottish

:06:00. > :06:04.Government. I know that the Scottish Government will examine all measures

:06:05. > :06:10.taken by this house to see what it can learn in turn. We should also be

:06:11. > :06:14.learning lessons as to how countries further afield to tackle thd issue.

:06:15. > :06:19.As technology grows sophisthcated and those who would exploit young

:06:20. > :06:24.people become more creative, we must all continue to be vigilant, we must

:06:25. > :06:29.not let our young people down, we must not allow the law to ldt our

:06:30. > :06:33.young people down. Young people travelling down the road of

:06:34. > :06:39.transition to adulthood are not being protected as they shotld be.

:06:40. > :06:43.They are not telling those hn authority when they experience

:06:44. > :06:50.sexual exploitation. The Chhldren's Society report points out how under

:06:51. > :06:55.reported such exploitation hs. We know young people feel often it is

:06:56. > :07:00.their fault when they are exploited. We know of the huge consequdnces for

:07:01. > :07:05.development to adulthood. The more we talk about this the more we

:07:06. > :07:09.recognise this is a problem that exists and the more likely those

:07:10. > :07:14.exploited will feel able to report their ordeal. This is an issue that

:07:15. > :07:19.must be brought out of the shadows. We must talk about it and how it can

:07:20. > :07:24.occur, the ways and means through which young people may be sdxually

:07:25. > :07:28.exploited. Remember, we must remember the onus for what happens

:07:29. > :07:32.to them cannot be placed on the shoulders of young people who are

:07:33. > :07:43.vulnerable and can be maniptlated by others and are -- that are lore

:07:44. > :07:48.cunning than they. Young people saying they are explicit, ldt's

:07:49. > :07:56.those exploiting off the hook, adding insult to injury. Let's not

:07:57. > :08:01.kid ourselves, child sexual exploitation is as much a rdality in

:08:02. > :08:04.Scotland and the UK as anywhere around the world and it is ` reality

:08:05. > :08:12.we cannot ignore. We must t`ckle it collectively. No one is sayhng it

:08:13. > :08:18.will be easy. It must not and cannot be beyond the wit of politicians to

:08:19. > :08:24.draft laws, to fully protect young people from exploitation. Everything

:08:25. > :08:28.that may help must be explored fully. We need to make sure we

:08:29. > :08:35.create an environment which is as difficult for those who would prey

:08:36. > :08:40.upon young and vulnerable and sexually exploited as possible and

:08:41. > :08:43.to create an environment whdre victims of predators feel able and

:08:44. > :08:52.confident about speaking up to receive support they need. Surely

:08:53. > :08:57.that is the least we can do. Order. In his point of order the honourable

:08:58. > :09:01.gentleman for Nottingham North was generous in estimating ten linutes

:09:02. > :09:05.might be the correct amount of time people can take to speak. If

:09:06. > :09:10.everyone who has indicated they wish to speak is to have an opportunity

:09:11. > :09:18.to do so, I would ask honourable members to take no more than eight

:09:19. > :09:22.minutes each. Tim Loughton. It is a pleasure to follow the honotrable

:09:23. > :09:26.lady and here the good works going on in Scotland. I congratul`te my

:09:27. > :09:32.honourable friend is securing the debate, supported by the honourable

:09:33. > :09:37.lady. Port. I want to congr`tulate the Children's Society on their

:09:38. > :09:42.report. I did a lot with thd Children's Society on beating

:09:43. > :09:49.victims of exploitation, thdy were taking care of. And runaways. I saw

:09:50. > :09:54.at first hand the excellent work they did and continue to do. I am

:09:55. > :10:01.delighted my honourable fridnd has taken over the crosscutting role in

:10:02. > :10:05.government on this important area of child sexual exploitation. @bly

:10:06. > :10:11.shadowed by the honourable lember for Rotherham. It is good to see the

:10:12. > :10:17.minister here as well. This subject is not aired enough in the house

:10:18. > :10:22.despite the fact the profild of this exploitation has never been higher,

:10:23. > :10:28.thanks to be high profile cdlebrity prosecutions we have heard. The

:10:29. > :10:33.series of virtually weekly reports of historic sexual abuse coling from

:10:34. > :10:37.the BBC celebrities, care homes boarding schools, music schools

:10:38. > :10:42.churches to choose shims and so one. The problem is the majority of child

:10:43. > :10:48.sexual exploitation that takes place is still taking place not bx

:10:49. > :10:52.celebrities and people in hhgh profile positions, it is by ordinary

:10:53. > :10:59.people, in many cases relatdd to victims. We have the enquirx that

:11:00. > :11:05.many called for and their work will take a long time. It will ptt a lot

:11:06. > :11:12.of continued pressure on thd police investigating historic cases. What

:11:13. > :11:16.we have today, putting asidd historic sex abuse cases, is a

:11:17. > :11:23.problem with contemporary child sex abuse. A specific problem whth those

:11:24. > :11:29.transitioning to adulthood. It has always been a great area whdn you

:11:30. > :11:33.become an adult. What we have done on the relationship between children

:11:34. > :11:38.and young people and the police has led to recognition that in the eyes

:11:39. > :11:43.of the law and for those yotng people taken into custody, `

:11:44. > :11:50.17-year-old is a child. The Home Secretary has reacted favourably to

:11:51. > :11:56.that and made changes. 16 and 17-year-olds, their status has been

:11:57. > :12:02.problematic since the age of consent was raised to 16 in 1885. Mx

:12:03. > :12:07.honourable friend mentioned the warnings that can disrupt contact

:12:08. > :12:13.between a vulnerable child `nd adult when there are concerns. Only 1 and

:12:14. > :12:19.17-year-olds in full care of the local authority under a section 31

:12:20. > :12:24.order covered, which leaves a lot of children potentially exposed the

:12:25. > :12:28.recent report by the child's Commissioner highlighted thd

:12:29. > :12:33.complexities of the problem. Given there are 70,000 children in the

:12:34. > :12:37.care system and despite the changes to residential children's homes

:12:38. > :12:41.which I instituted some years ago, to try to stop these homes being

:12:42. > :12:48.cited in areas where there `re lots of sex offenders and other dangers

:12:49. > :12:53.to young children, this is still a big problem. Those children in care

:12:54. > :12:59.still suffer from a huge poverty of achievement that the governlent

:13:00. > :13:03.needs to address. I want to mention the children's Commissioner's

:13:04. > :13:11.excellent report that came out last month. The most shocking findings

:13:12. > :13:16.that between 2012-14 there were between 400,000 450,000 victims of

:13:17. > :13:22.this abuse but only 50,000 of them were known to statutory agencies.

:13:23. > :13:26.Only one in eight cases of this abuse are picked up by the

:13:27. > :13:32.authorities. 11.3% of young adults had experienced sexual abusd during

:13:33. > :13:38.childhood and around two thhrds of all of this abuse occurs in or

:13:39. > :13:42.around the family with relatives or close family friends, with `ll the

:13:43. > :13:48.implications it has four cases being swept under the carpet or bding

:13:49. > :13:53.bullied into not speaking up. It is likely that children from BLE

:13:54. > :14:00.backgrounds, particularly boys, are under represented in that d`ta. It

:14:01. > :14:03.is an issue that children whth learning disabilities are

:14:04. > :14:09.particularly vulnerable and particularly unlikely to be able to

:14:10. > :14:13.report, even if they wish to, or understand they have been the

:14:14. > :14:18.victims of a crime. There is a bigger issue. In many cases children

:14:19. > :14:23.do not appreciate they are the victims and they have in sole way

:14:24. > :14:30.brought it on themselves. The disgraceful comments we had that a

:14:31. > :14:34.14, 15-year-old girl in card can in some way bring sexual abuse on

:14:35. > :14:40.herself is outrageous. Anybody adhering to those comments has no

:14:41. > :14:44.place near child social card. They are children and the prospect of

:14:45. > :14:49.someone who is old enough to be a father, grandfather, having sexual

:14:50. > :14:55.relations with that child, ht is a crime and they should be prosecuted

:14:56. > :14:59.as such. There is the issue of how children tell. The report rdvealed

:15:00. > :15:04.there was a failure to listdn to young people that has result in the

:15:05. > :15:09.failure to identify abuse. The abuse often comes to the attention of

:15:10. > :15:14.agencies as a result the secondary present fact that becomes the focus

:15:15. > :15:20.of intervention. There is a big role for schools in this. In the report

:15:21. > :15:25.the majority of respondents said they tried to tell their mother

:15:26. > :15:31.friend, or a teacher. There is a problem about parents in denial over

:15:32. > :15:34.close relatives being involved in child sexual abuse or they `re

:15:35. > :15:40.ill-equipped to detect it, but in schools we need to be smartdr in how

:15:41. > :15:44.we pick it up. I remember going to a school in Stafford, sitting in with

:15:45. > :15:49.a full-time social worker elployed by the school. A 15-year-old went to

:15:50. > :15:53.see the social worker. Halfway through the interview she breakdown

:15:54. > :15:59.and revealed she was being `bused by a stepfather. Nobody had anx clue

:16:00. > :16:04.there was something wrong. We need to be able to pick these thhngs up

:16:05. > :16:11.in schools. We need better training of teachers and staff to detect it.

:16:12. > :16:18.And that's chestnut of sexu`l relationships and education. Not

:16:19. > :16:22.having quality sex education undermined youngsters to understand

:16:23. > :16:26.the abuse was wrong, it was found. We need to do more to make sure

:16:27. > :16:33.young girls have confidence to say no, when they have sex forcdd upon

:16:34. > :16:39.them. That they have the right to say no. There is an issue about a

:16:40. > :16:43.quarter of the cases involvhng perpetrators under 18 themsdlves.

:16:44. > :16:50.There is a problem with younger on Young sexual abuse as well. The

:16:51. > :16:56.government has a good record in starting to approach this problem.

:16:57. > :17:01.The action plan I launched hn 2 11 has led to many practical

:17:02. > :17:05.considerations. The report from the Home Office this year, new

:17:06. > :17:09.sentencing guidelines from last year, courts able to sentence more

:17:10. > :17:17.severely in cases where victims are particularly vulnerable. But more

:17:18. > :17:20.needs to happen. The childrdn's Commissioner report is relevant and

:17:21. > :17:25.highlights the need for the government to step up its rdsponse

:17:26. > :17:29.to this problem with a cross government strategy. We havd raised

:17:30. > :17:33.serious issues about 16 and 17-year-olds but it is part of the

:17:34. > :17:37.bigger issue we have only jtst started to get on top. I

:17:38. > :17:44.congratulate my friend for bringing it to the house today. It is a

:17:45. > :17:49.pleasure to follow on from the honourable member for Worthhng, who

:17:50. > :17:54.did so much excellent work `s children's minister in tackling

:17:55. > :17:58.this. Old enough to know better is a thought-provoking report by the

:17:59. > :18:02.Children's Society who have been concerned about the vulnerability of

:18:03. > :18:07.this age group and should bd congratulated on their work. The

:18:08. > :18:12.last parliament saw the child sexual exploitation cases in Rochd`le,

:18:13. > :18:16.Rotherham, Oxford, among others and the public was shocked as the

:18:17. > :18:21.details were reported of yotng people passed around for sex by

:18:22. > :18:25.groups of men, their plight made worse by the attitude of those

:18:26. > :18:31.working in agencies charged with protecting them, who regarddd them

:18:32. > :18:43.as making a lifestyle choicd. It led to increasing awareness of grooming

:18:44. > :18:44.and what constituted consent and an examination of wider issues around

:18:45. > :18:46.child exploitation and vulndrability and lead to a better understanding

:18:47. > :18:52.of online grooming and other exploitation.

:18:53. > :18:58.A number of measures were introduced by the last government such as the

:18:59. > :19:02.new offence of sexual mutathon with a child and reducing the nulber of

:19:03. > :19:08.occasions in which a defend`nt must communicate with a child to only one

:19:09. > :19:13.occasion before prosecution can be brought. But because of high profile

:19:14. > :19:16.cases, Charles sexual exportation has been identified predominantly by

:19:17. > :19:20.the exploitation of Asian mdn with white girl so the more common ones

:19:21. > :19:24.are not particularly well understood. Particularly how

:19:25. > :19:28.vulnerable young people can be groomed one-on-one by much older

:19:29. > :19:34.adults either online or in person, or both into performing sextal acts

:19:35. > :19:40.in which they feel complicit. Nor is peer on peer sexual exploit`tion

:19:41. > :19:45.fully understood. It is the ruthless exploitation of vulnerability, which

:19:46. > :19:46.could be a craving for love, dependence on alcohol, or the

:19:47. > :19:54.inexperience of childhood for sex which requires

:19:55. > :19:59.understanding if we are to protect young people by holding exploiters

:20:00. > :20:08.to account. Which brings us to 6 or 17 years old. At 17 a young person

:20:09. > :20:13.can drive but although young people can leave school at 16 they cannot

:20:14. > :20:17.leave work full time unless they are in part-time education or training.

:20:18. > :20:21.Recently we had a debate in the house of parliament as to whether

:20:22. > :20:25.16-year-old should be able to vote in the European elections. These

:20:26. > :20:29.differences, reflects the ambivalence we have towards this age

:20:30. > :20:33.group. It is an age where they want the right to be respected on the

:20:34. > :20:39.pathway to independence but they still need protections as wdll and

:20:40. > :20:42.this is protected in the difference in levels of protection which

:20:43. > :20:46.recognises that they are sthll immaterial in terms of life

:20:47. > :20:49.experiences. That vulnerability in terms of maturity of age was

:20:50. > :20:55.recognised by the passing of recent amendments by the last government,

:20:56. > :21:02.to consign the term child prostitute to the history books for those under

:21:03. > :21:07.18, the amendment came to force in 2013 and one of the important

:21:08. > :21:15.implications, is that a child of 16 or 17 can no longer be seen to

:21:16. > :21:18.contract to sell services. The 003 sexual offences act, clearlx shows

:21:19. > :21:24.the vulnerability of this group and makes clear that alleged consent to

:21:25. > :21:27.specific acts will not be a defence, where the defender is sexually

:21:28. > :21:32.exploiting a child for this age group. That recognition needs to be

:21:33. > :21:36.extended hand made explicit elsewhere in the law, to make it

:21:37. > :21:41.clear that wary sexual offence of any kind is committed against a 16

:21:42. > :21:46.or 17-year-olds, this will `lways carry a harsher sentence th`n if the

:21:47. > :21:48.victim had been an adult. As it stands, the sentencing guiddlines

:21:49. > :21:54.for rape listing number of factors that determine a category of

:21:55. > :21:59.offence, one of which is th`t the victims, particularly vulnerable due

:22:00. > :22:01.to personal circumstances, `long with mental health issues and

:22:02. > :22:07.disabilities. This has been interpreted to include age but we

:22:08. > :22:12.need to make those explicit and unambiguous. No scope should be left

:22:13. > :22:15.to a 16-year-old not vulner`ble when we know that they had been

:22:16. > :22:20.significant problems with professionals and the justice

:22:21. > :22:23.system, treating this age group as adults called particularly hf the

:22:24. > :22:29.victim is involved will seels to be involved in criminal activity. The

:22:30. > :22:34.message for perpetrators, that if you sexual exploits, abuse ` 16 or

:22:35. > :22:36.17-year-old you will automatically receive a harsher sentence.

:22:37. > :22:44.Altrincham sentencing guidelines on the way I have outlined, so as to

:22:45. > :22:49.make the vulnerability of this age group player, and consistent, across

:22:50. > :22:52.all sexual offences is an ilportant first step to strengthening their

:22:53. > :22:56.protection in law. I would hope that something could be done to `ddress

:22:57. > :23:00.handy crease the disparity hn the starting point for sentencing in the

:23:01. > :23:06.case of rape where for example, if the victim is 15, the sentencing age

:23:07. > :23:14.range is 8-13 years, whereas for a child of 16, it starts lower, there

:23:15. > :23:18.is no case to make the diffdrence, clearly the age of consent hs not

:23:19. > :23:23.relevant given the rate cannot can be consented to. There is every

:23:24. > :23:28.reason for a 1617 -year-old, it is the same protection for children of

:23:29. > :23:31.a younger age. Last year I was asked by Tony Lloyd, the Greater

:23:32. > :23:36.Manchester Police crime comlission to undertake a greater enquhring

:23:37. > :23:40.into the work that has been done to undertake child sexual exportation

:23:41. > :23:45.since the shocking Rochdale case. It was published in October, I have

:23:46. > :23:49.said that we cannot prosecute our way out of the problem of CSC. It

:23:50. > :23:54.reported highlights of the figures that revealed that there were only

:23:55. > :24:01.about 1000 convictions out of 1 ,000 reported cases of nine major sexual

:24:02. > :24:06.offences against under 16-ydar-olds. We know that there is underreporting

:24:07. > :24:09.in sex crimes against 16 and 17-year-olds because victims are

:24:10. > :24:13.frightened that they will not be believed or they feel complhcit or

:24:14. > :24:20.ashamed. As the old enough to know better report shows, police received

:24:21. > :24:23.4900 reports last year but the crime survey for England and Wales shows

:24:24. > :24:31.an estimated 50,000 girls alone said they had been victims. In the last

:24:32. > :24:34.year, Greater Manchester Police recorded 311 sexual offences cases,

:24:35. > :24:38.and I believe that there is a much higher level of offending. Children

:24:39. > :24:42.who were sexually exploited can suffer lifelong harm, everybody

:24:43. > :24:47.agrees that prevention has to be the goal. By the time prosecution it is

:24:48. > :24:52.too late for that child and yet they have two faced delays in cases

:24:53. > :24:56.coming to court and challenging and sometimes bullying cross-ex`mination

:24:57. > :24:59.that can add to their traum`. The important part of that strategy

:25:00. > :25:04.must be better prevention and to do that we need to listen to children,

:25:05. > :25:08.and young people about their experience of the world, and support

:25:09. > :25:13.them to inform other young people. We do need to build on another

:25:14. > :25:17.approach to prevent CSC spe`rheaded by young people themselves. One

:25:18. > :25:21.thing young people told me `gain, is how they value talking to their

:25:22. > :25:26.parents because they said they understood the pressures th`t they

:25:27. > :25:30.faced. I believe there should be a multimedia digital network led by

:25:31. > :25:33.young people to spearhead the fightback against CSE, incltding a

:25:34. > :25:41.high profile weekly show produced and hosted by young people with CSE

:25:42. > :25:46.issues. We have a very succdssful weekly review show, on radio, for

:25:47. > :25:52.two hours on a Thursday evening there is dance and urban music,

:25:53. > :25:56.which is taken over by 11 to 16-year-olds, why people who show

:25:57. > :26:00.that it is serious but accessible discussions on Child exploitation,

:26:01. > :26:05.led by young people. The strap line of the show is helping young people

:26:06. > :26:07.to lead sale fee and happier lives. So that young listeners are better

:26:08. > :26:17.able to understand what a healthy relationship is. How fashion

:26:18. > :26:21.is part of CSE and how pop stars includes our young people dress

:26:22. > :26:26.Educating greater Manchester, they are also have a new application

:26:27. > :26:31.which is a mobile -based digital platform created by and for young

:26:32. > :26:35.people. Educating young people and affecting a sea change in ctlture is

:26:36. > :26:38.the only way forward and I believe that all of these initiativds show

:26:39. > :26:42.that greater Manchester is one of the leaders in the fightback with

:26:43. > :26:45.CSC. Public attitudes are fundamental to the protection of

:26:46. > :26:49.children and young people btt the common or justice system is key in

:26:50. > :26:54.reflecting our attitudes to them. We know that 16 and 17-year-olds, Hari

:26:55. > :26:58.difficult and challenging age group, and we need to understand that they

:26:59. > :27:03.are often inhabiting a dangdrous twilight world between childhood and

:27:04. > :27:09.adult hood, their vulnerability needs to be recognised. If they

:27:10. > :27:13.commit sexual crimes against this age group, predators need to know

:27:14. > :27:22.that they receive a tougher sentence. It is not the solttion but

:27:23. > :27:29.it is part of a wider stratdgy. Kelly Tolhurst. Thank you Mr Speaker

:27:30. > :27:33.I will firstly like to thank my honourable friend, and the

:27:34. > :27:37.Honourable lady for securing the debate today on the floor of the

:27:38. > :27:41.house but also I would like to congratulate my honourable friend

:27:42. > :27:50.from North West Hampshire on his speech, with great passion. 16 and

:27:51. > :27:54.17-year-olds believe that they are adults but they are one of our most

:27:55. > :27:58.vulnerable groups of people. We all Mr Speaker what those years were

:27:59. > :28:03.like, thinking about our futures, maybe making decisions about what to

:28:04. > :28:07.study, may be going on to work. And the range of emotions that we all

:28:08. > :28:11.experienced during that perhod of our lives. For many young pdople of

:28:12. > :28:16.this age. They are not just having to worry about these decisions, but

:28:17. > :28:21.they may be in chaotic home environments, or they may not be

:28:22. > :28:24.able to be at home at all for a number of different reasons.

:28:25. > :28:29.Domestic abuse, emotional or physical abuse. Or because of their

:28:30. > :28:34.own behaviour. But particul`rly for children who are looked aftdr, they

:28:35. > :28:37.may have had very traumatic pasts. They may have been exposed to

:28:38. > :28:43.situations that we would never want any young person to experience. The

:28:44. > :28:46.experiences which some of otr looked after children go through, coupled

:28:47. > :28:52.with the feelings and challdnges which come with being 16 or 17,

:28:53. > :29:01.makes them an extremely vulnerable group in our population. In the UK

:29:02. > :29:07.approximately 8400 teenagers are placed are ported accommodation

:29:08. > :29:12.This is to prepare them for their independence. They may be placed in

:29:13. > :29:15.supported accommodation for a whole host of reasons, supported

:29:16. > :29:20.accommodation for young people can take many forms. And run by a number

:29:21. > :29:24.of different providers incltding charities and private busindsses. In

:29:25. > :29:28.many settings, 16 and 17-ye`r-olds can be placed in the same btilding,

:29:29. > :29:34.as people who can be up to nine years older than they are. They can

:29:35. > :29:36.be with individuals who may be ex-offenders, or have other

:29:37. > :29:43.vulnerabilities like mental health issues, or suffering from stbstance

:29:44. > :29:48.misuse. Supported accommodation is not subject to the same standards

:29:49. > :29:52.and regulations, as other sdttings such as foster placements or

:29:53. > :29:57.children's homes. Foster carers receive rigorous training and are

:29:58. > :30:00.supported by supervising social workers, as well as the sochal

:30:01. > :30:08.workers of the children that may be placed with them. There is `lso a

:30:09. > :30:13.stringent process that they must get through to be foster parents. The

:30:14. > :30:16.Children's Society found th`t half of providers employ staff whth no

:30:17. > :30:22.qualifications. I have had the privilege over the last eight years,

:30:23. > :30:25.to get a small insight to look into some of our children, and sde first

:30:26. > :30:29.hand some of the challenges that these wonderful young peopld how to

:30:30. > :30:34.overcome throughout their young lives. For example a young person

:30:35. > :30:39.could have been in care frol a very young age because of emotional or

:30:40. > :30:42.physical abuse, or just due to neglect. That children could have

:30:43. > :30:47.been moved from foster carer to foster carer. Could also have gone

:30:48. > :30:52.through an adoption failure, had a period in a children's home, with a

:30:53. > :30:57.number of different social workers over their time in care. And with no

:30:58. > :31:02.strong positive relationship with an adult who has been there through

:31:03. > :31:06.their challenging circumstances By the very nature of their formative

:31:07. > :31:11.experiences, often these yotng people will be extremely emotionally

:31:12. > :31:17.vulnerable and have had verx few long-term positive and meanhngful

:31:18. > :31:22.relationships with adults. @nd if any clear role models or mentors.

:31:23. > :31:26.Yet, the Children's Society have found that half of the supported

:31:27. > :31:29.accommodation providers are not consulted by children services when

:31:30. > :31:33.they are planning how a young person's care package will change as

:31:34. > :31:37.they approach independence. I have seen first-hand vulnerable xoung

:31:38. > :31:41.people, this group of young people which make

:31:42. > :31:49.them extremists is susceptible to be targeted by predatory indivhduals

:31:50. > :31:54.looking to exploit and abusd our youngsters. As we have seen recently

:31:55. > :31:58.in South Yorkshire. I believe that individuals who seek to exploit this

:31:59. > :32:03.age group should be subjectdd to aggravated offences and harsher

:32:04. > :32:08.sentences. At any age, people can be at risk of abuse and exploitation.

:32:09. > :32:12.But 16 and 17-year-olds are legally still considered to be children and

:32:13. > :32:17.it is quite naive to believd that because a young girl or boy reached

:32:18. > :32:19.the age of consent, that thdy will automatically be able to understand

:32:20. > :32:25.that they are being targeted or groomed. Predatory individu`ls seek

:32:26. > :32:30.out vulnerable youngsters and pose as people that can be trustdd and

:32:31. > :32:37.relied upon. Often these individuals, are young, vulnerable

:32:38. > :32:40.young people themselves. Thd damage that can be done to young pdople

:32:41. > :32:44.subject to these offences, has a long-lasting impact, to thehr

:32:45. > :32:51.individual future but actually to our society as a whole. I would

:32:52. > :32:55.therefore like to call on the Minister to take for these

:32:56. > :33:01.recommendations, the old enough to know that a report, I would welcome

:33:02. > :33:04.particular focus around the risks of safeguarding in supported

:33:05. > :33:09.accommodation, to insure th`t the settings are able to effecthvely

:33:10. > :33:13.protect vulnerable people from harm. I would finish by highlighthng, that

:33:14. > :33:19.we are about to break for what can be a very happy time for many.

:33:20. > :33:26.There is a group of young pdople who will be alone and experienchng the

:33:27. > :33:32.abuse we spoke about today. We must do all we can to ensure young people

:33:33. > :33:35.are supported, whatever thehr circumstances, to go on to dnjoy the

:33:36. > :33:42.best possible future any yotng person should expect to havd. I

:33:43. > :33:47.would like to declare an interest as the founder of the early

:33:48. > :33:53.intervention foundation. A privilege to follow the honourable lady from

:33:54. > :34:00.Rochester. Who made a very dloquent speech, and also, may I say, those

:34:01. > :34:04.who see members of Parliament from the end of 140 characters on Twitter

:34:05. > :34:09.could do well to follow those colleagues in the house such as my

:34:10. > :34:14.honourable friend from Stockport, honourable friend from East Worthing

:34:15. > :34:20.and Shoreham, honourable melber from North West Hampshire, the honourable

:34:21. > :34:24.lady from Oxford, who is not with us unfortunately. My honourabld friend

:34:25. > :34:28.from Rotherham, who are all exempt Lars of what MPs can do when they

:34:29. > :34:33.get their teeth into an isste they care about and refuse to let go

:34:34. > :34:36.until something is done abott it. I hope this is another demonstration

:34:37. > :34:41.of how members of Parliament from all parts of the house can be

:34:42. > :34:43.effective when we work together as parliamentarians, pushing

:34:44. > :34:54.governments of all colours hn the right direction. What I am not going

:34:55. > :34:58.to talk about in this debatd is 16 to 18-year-olds because we help them

:34:59. > :35:06.by intervening much earlier. If you just help a 16 to 18-year-old you

:35:07. > :35:11.are firefighting. It has to be done. But if we are to get a grip on this

:35:12. > :35:17.we need to ensure we elimin`te the causes as well as tackling the

:35:18. > :35:21.consequences. That in essence is a definition of early intervention and

:35:22. > :35:26.that is why it is important we look at this as an intergenerational

:35:27. > :35:34.problem. This is so big, dedp rooted, that we need a view that not

:35:35. > :35:38.merely a set of tactics, but a set of strategies that can take us

:35:39. > :35:44.forward. One of the best waxs to do that is to look at the example of

:35:45. > :35:50.what works in this country, where people collect together best

:35:51. > :35:54.practice, collect the evidence, find out, in this case, what works most

:35:55. > :35:58.effectively in terms of the programme to help victims and indeed

:35:59. > :36:03.programmes to help perpetrators from reoffending. You have it in one

:36:04. > :36:07.place. Instead of reinventing the wheel, whether you are in the

:36:08. > :36:14.police, health service, Parliament, there is a place to go to rdly on

:36:15. > :36:20.other people'sexperience and practice accumulated over the years.

:36:21. > :36:23.This is about evidence and science. When every instinct in a normal

:36:24. > :36:33.human being is an emotional response to the awful child abuse and sexual

:36:34. > :36:38.abuse of children and indeed those aged 16 up to 18. I called for a

:36:39. > :36:43.national institute to look `t the reduction of sexual abuse and the

:36:44. > :36:50.reduction of perpetration of abuse 26 years ago with the honourable

:36:51. > :36:57.member for Hendon, Mrs Thatcher was the Prime Minister. I say that to

:36:58. > :37:01.bring is up-to-date and say let us not, nor our successes, be sitting

:37:02. > :37:06.here in 26 years demanding the same. Now is the time we can help the next

:37:07. > :37:13.generation as well as do our job. Of course I will give way. I thank him.

:37:14. > :37:18.In the interests of time I wonder if it is worth putting on the record

:37:19. > :37:22.the Department for Education has announced a new centre for child

:37:23. > :37:28.protection that will build `n evidence base to share best practice

:37:29. > :37:32.and help the police, social workers and practitioners, and give better

:37:33. > :37:38.support to children and famhlies. I was about to make that point and she

:37:39. > :37:44.made it eloquently. May I s`y it is important, having served in this

:37:45. > :37:47.House with governments of all complexions that ministers

:37:48. > :37:50.themselves are concerned and empathetic about this issue. We are

:37:51. > :37:55.fortunate to have the honourable lady as a Home Office Minister, her

:37:56. > :38:03.colleague, the minister for children and families, her other colleague,

:38:04. > :38:06.the undersecretary for publhc health and the minister for justicd who

:38:07. > :38:12.have been involved in pulling together the idea they should now

:38:13. > :38:14.finally be a national institute a centre of excellence, to look at

:38:15. > :38:21.sexual abuse of children and how to help them and indeed perpetrators. I

:38:22. > :38:28.raised that with her colleague in an adjournment debate in June, as fast

:38:29. > :38:32.as I could, after the last dlection, and indeed the honourable l`dy has

:38:33. > :38:40.already said as much but I will say in that debate the minister said

:38:41. > :38:45.there will be centre of expdrtise to identify share quality eviddnce to

:38:46. > :38:50.tackle child sexual abuse, which must include those aged between 16

:38:51. > :38:55.and 18. I am conscious of the announcement but I will tee this up

:38:56. > :39:01.for the honourable lady as ` willing smasher of follies over the net I

:39:02. > :39:15.know she can be to -- poorlxs to tell the House when we can dxpect

:39:16. > :39:18.this to be out there. -- volleys. Producing reports that the `gencies,

:39:19. > :39:24.police, members of Parliament, everyone who has an interest in

:39:25. > :39:29.this, what is the best practice in the field? And above all, to give

:39:30. > :39:35.the Lord Chief Justice Godd`rd a head start by doing an interim

:39:36. > :39:44.report that calls for and stpport such an institution so before a long

:39:45. > :39:48.time before reporting Lord Chief Justice Goddard can influence the

:39:49. > :39:56.political changes necessary to bring this forward. I hope also she can

:39:57. > :39:59.inform the house that such `n institution, as well as doing

:40:00. > :40:03.valuable work pulling together departmental interests, will listen

:40:04. > :40:09.to the voluntary sector, who do so much work in this field and also to

:40:10. > :40:13.those in local authorities. There is a body of work on this but ht is all

:40:14. > :40:18.over the place and never quhte there when you need it. I suspect

:40:19. > :40:22.colleagues who have been through this awful experience of rahsing

:40:23. > :40:26.constituency cases are frustrated for a fair period because they

:40:27. > :40:30.cannot quite lay their hands on what somebody else did earlier that would

:40:31. > :40:39.save them time and save the victims a lot of grief. I will also

:40:40. > :40:43.advertise briefly the work the early intervention foundation are doing on

:40:44. > :40:47.this, working closely with the Home Office and have already comlissioned

:40:48. > :40:53.a review to look at the evidence on what is known about the indhcators

:40:54. > :40:57.that suggest a child under 08 is at heightened risk of becoming a victim

:40:58. > :41:03.or even a perpetrator of abtse or exploitation and many other things.

:41:04. > :41:07.They will undoubtedly do a first-class job on that comlission,

:41:08. > :41:12.but in the long-term, the answer for us all is to get behind what the

:41:13. > :41:17.government is doing, which H applaud from the rooftops, in pulling

:41:18. > :41:22.together a what works institution, making sure its workers sprdad far

:41:23. > :41:26.and wide, making sure there is a connection and I would suggdst from

:41:27. > :41:32.the top of my head to the mhnister, perhaps 30 champion local

:41:33. > :41:36.authorities, health authorities police services, who can take

:41:37. > :41:42.forward some of the best me`sures pulled together in this central

:41:43. > :41:46.place. Mr Speaker, this is something where their house can have `n impact

:41:47. > :41:52.working closely with governlent where the government has bedn very

:41:53. > :42:00.receptive to representations made to it, and will do something which will

:42:01. > :42:04.resonate and helps children, will resonate and help perpetrators not

:42:05. > :42:09.offend again, in a way that could last several generations. This is an

:42:10. > :42:15.incredibly worthwhile thing to be doing and I congratulate all members

:42:16. > :42:20.who have led us to the conclusion is the Children's Society have put

:42:21. > :42:24.before us today and also led to this government bringing forward a

:42:25. > :42:27.national institute for the study and prevention of the sexual abtse of

:42:28. > :42:38.children, including those aged between 16 and 18. I rise in this

:42:39. > :42:41.debate to congratulate my honourable friends who have been involved

:42:42. > :42:49.bringing it forward. It is `n excellent topic. I want to lend my

:42:50. > :42:54.experience as someone involved in trying to think about how to do this

:42:55. > :43:00.better. In Somerset. Becausd Somerset has had challengers

:43:01. > :43:05.recently. It has been trying to improve the standards of care it

:43:06. > :43:13.gives to children in its care, and children in the county generally. It

:43:14. > :43:19.is right this government has increased the standards that

:43:20. > :43:26.councils have to comply with under Ofsted to ensure that is happening

:43:27. > :43:32.correctly. Because while thdre are no serious cases out there that are

:43:33. > :43:37.known about, what was found in the Ofsted inspection was that because

:43:38. > :43:41.of some of the structural arrangements and the way thhngs were

:43:42. > :43:45.happening, it was possible some of the things that have been h`ppening

:43:46. > :43:51.in other parts of the country could in theory happen in a place like

:43:52. > :43:58.Somerset. I am interested in this issue as the father of young

:43:59. > :44:02.daughters and as a councillor in Somerset, having that corporate duty

:44:03. > :44:10.of care to particularly the children in care, being a corporate parent to

:44:11. > :44:15.them. I have worked with thdm and talked to children of this `ge group

:44:16. > :44:19.about some of the challenges they face and some of them can f`ce as

:44:20. > :44:26.they move out of care, parthcularly that is a vulnerable age. The risk

:44:27. > :44:34.can come in different ways. In a rural area like Somerset, young

:44:35. > :44:39.people are dependent on fridnds and family for lifts in their c`rs quite

:44:40. > :44:44.often. I am not talking abott children in care because thdy have

:44:45. > :44:51.more strict rules. It is soletimes hidden in all sorts of ways. It is

:44:52. > :44:55.right we try to raise the standards and right that we try to do some of

:44:56. > :45:00.the things that have been mdntioned by honourable members in thhs

:45:01. > :45:05.debate. One thing happening in Somerset is the potential ddvolution

:45:06. > :45:11.deal and one aspect proposed in the draft devolution bid I have seen is

:45:12. > :45:20.for more local control to bd had of mental health budgets and sdrvices,

:45:21. > :45:24.because Somerset is underserved by that and the thought is if we can

:45:25. > :45:32.control those budgets better, and apply them in the local envhronment,

:45:33. > :45:39.we might be able to get to help some of these children who currently

:45:40. > :45:43.don't have as much out. I thank the honourable gentleman forgivhng way.

:45:44. > :45:48.He was referring to the devolution proposal covering Devon and

:45:49. > :45:52.Somerset, including my area. One bonus of a deal is it would allow

:45:53. > :45:59.more coordinated work but there is a need to make sure those budgets are

:46:00. > :46:03.monitored and accounted for for local people. He makes an excellent

:46:04. > :46:09.point. That is one thing I `m keen to work with him on through the

:46:10. > :46:12.devolution process to ensurd there are clear lines of accountability

:46:13. > :46:19.and the government aspects works well and there are things that we as

:46:20. > :46:24.MPs can be involved in in ftture. The recommendations that have come

:46:25. > :46:27.through the report, which is an excellent report and I congratulate

:46:28. > :46:34.the Children's Society on it, I think they do a good job of making

:46:35. > :46:41.it clear we need to make sure just because children are aged bdtween 16

:46:42. > :46:45.and 18 and have some element of personal responsibility, th`t does

:46:46. > :46:49.not absolve the authorities of responsibility to look after them.

:46:50. > :46:55.One key issue with child sexual exploitation we have seen in other

:46:56. > :46:59.parts of the country, is th`t when it went wrong agencies were not

:47:00. > :47:04.always talking to each other. That is where some of the problels have

:47:05. > :47:16.come. It would be good to h`ve more onus on them to do so. I want to

:47:17. > :47:20.finish by saying we should `lways be mindful of the people involved.

:47:21. > :47:30.These children are those people What we don't want them to feel like

:47:31. > :47:35.is as young offenders. It is obvious in terms of the scale of thd problem

:47:36. > :47:41.that just as often these yotng people are victims, as often as some

:47:42. > :47:46.of them are young offenders, we need to be more sensitive to the

:47:47. > :47:50.realities of the life some of these young people face, and unfortunately

:47:51. > :48:01.find themselves in. We need to be more sensitive to them. In light of

:48:02. > :48:05.the restriction on time and the desire for everybody to contribute,

:48:06. > :48:14.I would like to concentrate my remarks in this sad subject on the

:48:15. > :48:19.incredible work done by the Wish Centre in helping victims of sexual

:48:20. > :48:23.exploitation. I was delightdd to be able to open the centre in Lurton a

:48:24. > :48:27.few weeks ago, extending its pre-existing site in Harrow. The

:48:28. > :48:34.centre is having a wonderful impact in my community. The centre's work

:48:35. > :48:39.is made possible by funding from Comic Relief and is supportdd by an

:48:40. > :48:42.excellent director. I am indebted to my friend Michael Foster for making

:48:43. > :48:52.me aware of the work of the centre and work on bringing it to ly area.

:48:53. > :49:00.There is a terrible shortfall in therapeutic support for children who

:49:01. > :49:03.are victims. We need at least another 55,000 clinical therapeutic

:49:04. > :49:06.support places to make sure that all children who have displayed suicidal

:49:07. > :49:14.or self harm behaviour recehved this vital support. The provision of

:49:15. > :49:18.nonclinical early support is inadequate, even though such early

:49:19. > :49:22.intervention has proven to be cost-effective when Chard enters the

:49:23. > :49:26.criminal justice system. Thhs is why stoush and is like the wish centre

:49:27. > :49:29.are so important. The Centrd has been supporting those who stffer

:49:30. > :49:34.from sexual abuse on the ro`d to recovery for over ten years. It

:49:35. > :49:39.specialises in support for those who self harm but it works extensively

:49:40. > :49:43.with young people who have experienced sexual abuse. This is

:49:44. > :49:47.because self harm is a key hndicator of sexual violence and abusd, as

:49:48. > :49:53.young victim struggled to cope with the trauma of their experience. It

:49:54. > :50:00.has a tremendous history of success. In the past year, the Centrd has

:50:01. > :50:05.supported over 220 young people on a long-term basis, mainly fem`le and

:50:06. > :50:11.mainly from black and minorhty ethnic communities, recording an 89%

:50:12. > :50:15.increase, in safety from sexual exploitation and abuse. This

:50:16. > :50:18.emphasis on BME communities is particularly welcome, given the

:50:19. > :50:23.different problems around the reporting of child sexual abuse in

:50:24. > :50:28.some communities. There are a number of commendable ways in which the

:50:29. > :50:30.Centre supports young peopld, it has an independent sexual violence

:50:31. > :50:36.advocacy service for young people who has experienced current or

:50:37. > :50:39.historic sexual violence including rape, sexual exploitation, sexual

:50:40. > :50:44.harassment, gang-related sexual violence and child sexual abuse

:50:45. > :50:48.This confidential emotional and practical support helps young people

:50:49. > :50:52.understand how the criminal justice process works and explains what will

:50:53. > :50:56.happen if they report crimes to the police. It also works very closely

:50:57. > :51:00.with schools so that they are immediately notified on anything

:51:01. > :51:04.that they need to act on regarding vulnerable young persons. It builds

:51:05. > :51:09.connections between schools, social services and the police to raise

:51:10. > :51:12.awareness. This is so important because a staggering proportion of

:51:13. > :51:17.young people still believe, I will not give away just because H want to

:51:18. > :51:21.get on with this. If a teen`ger is too drunk or high to give sdxual

:51:22. > :51:25.consent to sex, the sexual `ct is not rape according to them. The

:51:26. > :51:30.centre's response strategy hs focused on three main points,

:51:31. > :51:36.prevention, identifying early and responding appropriately. An

:51:37. > :51:40.excellent example of this work is the Shield campaign in Harrow. A

:51:41. > :51:45.shocking 44% of teenagers in Harrow, know someone who has been stalked,

:51:46. > :51:49.sexually harassed or attackdd. Funded by the mayor 's office, the

:51:50. > :51:53.campaign has been raising awareness of the rights of young people and

:51:54. > :51:58.where to go for help or confidential support in a crisis. Other fantastic

:51:59. > :52:02.programmes specifically help with those who self harm with thdir

:52:03. > :52:07.recovery, safe to speak and the award-winning girls express,

:52:08. > :52:11.providing out of our support, mentoring and creative ther`pies to

:52:12. > :52:16.help young women express thdmselves in productive and positive ways The

:52:17. > :52:21.girls can take part in self defence courses and healthy relationship

:52:22. > :52:26.workshops, to discuss concerns surrounding young people, power

:52:27. > :52:29.choice and safety. Guidance with regards to healthy relationships is

:52:30. > :52:33.particularly important given that the most serious sexual ass`ults are

:52:34. > :52:37.usually committed by someond known to the victim, most often bx a

:52:38. > :52:41.partner or former partner. The girls that attend these groups will have

:52:42. > :52:45.experienced self harm but are likely to have faced other issues such as

:52:46. > :52:50.exposure to domestic violence, sexual salt, depression, bullying,

:52:51. > :52:55.rape, neglect and low self dsteem. They often at risk of sexual

:52:56. > :52:59.exploitation. Furthermore, by assessing and reviewing how well

:53:00. > :53:02.these services are supporting people, the centre is const`ntly

:53:03. > :53:06.improving its techniques and provision in the light of the

:53:07. > :53:10.responses of service users. I'm sure that this has want to join le in

:53:11. > :53:13.commending that men does work of the wish centre and I invite thd

:53:14. > :53:16.Minister to come and visit the centre in Merton and see for

:53:17. > :53:21.herself, the excellent work that it does. But despite the hard work of

:53:22. > :53:27.groups like the wish centre, there are still gaps in the provision and

:53:28. > :53:31.protections of people 16 and 17 Older teenagers as we have heard are

:53:32. > :53:35.at highest risk being victils of sexual crime and it is clear that

:53:36. > :53:37.they desperately need to receive better protection. I hope that this

:53:38. > :53:42.protection will be delivered when the policing and

:53:43. > :53:51.: a justice those considered in the New Year. 16 and 17-year-old should

:53:52. > :53:54.always be treated seriously. I fully agree that child abduction warning

:53:55. > :53:59.notices should be amended so that they can be used to protect

:54:00. > :54:03.vulnerable children of this page and we also desperately need thd law to

:54:04. > :54:08.recognise that 16 and 17-ye`r-olds can be groomed for a sexual abuse,

:54:09. > :54:13.cursive and controlling beh`viour such as abuse of drugs and `lcohol

:54:14. > :54:17.and fear of intimidation. Furthermore, the need for additional

:54:18. > :54:21.safeguards for children of learning disabilities of this age is clear. I

:54:22. > :54:25.sincerely hope that we will hear in due course how the government plans

:54:26. > :54:30.to develop, revise and impldment the legislation and policy guid`nce for

:54:31. > :54:34.all children, and young people who experience risk of child sex

:54:35. > :54:37.exploitation. It is high tile that these victims receive our ftll

:54:38. > :54:48.support, and proper protecthon in the law. I would like to begin by

:54:49. > :54:53.thanking the backbench business committee for approving this debate,

:54:54. > :54:57.and by stressing my gratitude to the honourable members for North West

:54:58. > :55:00.Hampshire, and Stockport for bringing it forward. We are all

:55:01. > :55:04.indebted to the Children's Society who are to be commended for the work

:55:05. > :55:11.that seeks to prevent children suffering Venus abuse and ndglect.

:55:12. > :55:15.Child sexual exportation is a truly reprehensible crime and one that has

:55:16. > :55:20.a dive lonely impact on the lives of victims. I'm sure that all sides of

:55:21. > :55:23.the house can find common c`use today and unite behind this

:55:24. > :55:29.important issue. Child sexu`l exploitation regrettably is a

:55:30. > :55:33.problem, one that must be t`ckled collectively. A report rele`sed just

:55:34. > :55:38.this week from the National crime agency entitled "The nature and

:55:39. > :55:43.scale of human trafficking hn 2 14" lays bare a persistent problem. Of

:55:44. > :55:49.all of the types of exploit`tion, trial potential victims of

:55:50. > :55:53.trafficking, aged 16 to 17 lost commonly experienced sexual

:55:54. > :55:58.exploitation with almost 100 cases reported in 2014. One child

:55:59. > :56:04.suffering in this manner is one too many, 100 is a failure that needs

:56:05. > :56:08.urgently addressed. That is two young people aged 16 and 17 every

:56:09. > :56:12.week, falling through the cracks in the system and being preyed upon by

:56:13. > :56:16.some of the most despicable criminals in the UK. This only

:56:17. > :56:21.scratches the surface. Countless more will doubtlessly have gone

:56:22. > :56:26.unreported. While today's ddbate focuses on legislation and re-search

:56:27. > :56:31.covering England and Wales, child sexual abuse is not a crime that

:56:32. > :56:36.stops at Borders. I think it is important, imperative even, all

:56:37. > :56:40.jurisdictions to look at ond another to share factors. While the vast

:56:41. > :56:45.majority of children in Scotland live safe, healthy and happx lives,

:56:46. > :56:51.child sexual exploitation is much a reality, as it is in the rest of the

:56:52. > :56:55.UK. The Scottish Government have introduced Scotland's National

:56:56. > :56:58.action plan to tackle child exportation, a far reaching and

:56:59. > :57:03.ambitious strategy to tackld the problem. Embracing the kind of

:57:04. > :57:08.joined up approach required, the plan was developed with a working

:57:09. > :57:13.group that included police Scotland, the Inspectorate, Barnardos, the

:57:14. > :57:18.Crown Office and others. Re`l progress has been made in

:57:19. > :57:21.implementing the plan in Scotland. A national summit was held inventory

:57:22. > :57:26.that brought together key sdrvice providers to share best practice,

:57:27. > :57:30.another such summit is due to be held in a couple of months' time.

:57:31. > :57:37.Police Scotland's National child abuse investigation unit is now

:57:38. > :57:40.fully operational, and what will be developed across child protdction

:57:41. > :57:44.will be agreed by debris next year and presented to the Scottish

:57:45. > :57:49.parliament. As my noble fridnd mentioned, we will also be launching

:57:50. > :57:55.a campaign, to raise awarendss of charred sexual exploitation week, TV

:57:56. > :57:59.and poster campaigns, aimed primarily at parents, carers and

:58:00. > :58:02.children, a plan that forms part of a wider strategy in legislation that

:58:03. > :58:08.aims to get it right for evdry child. Wetting it right for most but

:58:09. > :58:13.not all children, that at gdtting it right. No child under any age should

:58:14. > :58:16.be able to step through the net in society. Children who have reached

:58:17. > :58:21.the age of consent are still children. In today's debate,

:58:22. > :58:26.importantly it highlights a disparity that exists, and how

:58:27. > :58:30.authorities deal with older victims. We have a moral duty and obligation

:58:31. > :58:36.to insure that every child hs protected from exploitation. Article

:58:37. > :58:41.34 of the UN Convention on the rights of the child lays cldar our

:58:42. > :58:47.responsibilities. We must undertake to protect the child from all forms

:58:48. > :58:50.of sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse, and take all approprhate

:58:51. > :58:58.measures, to prevent the inducement or coercion of a child, to dngage in

:58:59. > :59:01.any unlawful sex activity. The exploited abuse of children in

:59:02. > :59:06.prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices, and the exploited

:59:07. > :59:13.abuse of children in pornographic performances and materials, older

:59:14. > :59:17.children cannot be forgotten about. It is arguable that older children

:59:18. > :59:22.may be more at risk from grooming. The motion of this debate m`kes

:59:23. > :59:26.note, of the role of drugs `nd alcohol, mental health problems

:59:27. > :59:30.being in care and learning disabilities have been adding to the

:59:31. > :59:35.vulnerability of the age group. A true understanding of these complex

:59:36. > :59:39.issues is required, in order to accurately target those who prey on

:59:40. > :59:45.vulnerable young people, and to protect all of those at risk. These

:59:46. > :59:50.issues and social work, reldasing, justice, the health service and the

:59:51. > :59:55.health sector. You should elphasise the need and importance in `

:59:56. > :59:58.collective and joined up approach. Into working between agencids,

:59:59. > :00:04.authorities and stakeholders is vital. It is also crucial that

:00:05. > :00:09.police are able to properly do their job, and protect all childrdn,

:00:10. > :00:13.including those who are olddr. One of the most impactful pages in the

:00:14. > :00:18.Children's Society 's report, is the one containing a single statement in

:00:19. > :00:23.large print. It reads: the police currently lack the tools th`t they

:00:24. > :00:28.need to intervene early, to disrupt sexual exploitation of older

:00:29. > :00:33.teenagers. The Society's report contains several recommendations, on

:00:34. > :00:37.how police can be better eqtipped to deal with child sexual exploitation,

:00:38. > :00:43.I would ask that the governlent give them serious consideration. These

:00:44. > :00:46.sourcing authority should bd of paramount importance and I hope that

:00:47. > :00:49.the government will take thd opportunity to reflect on this

:00:50. > :00:55.debate and on the report and come forward with proposals. The member

:00:56. > :01:00.for East Worthing made a very good point, that this is part of a much

:01:01. > :01:05.wider issue. We now have thd God aahed enquiring and we hear that it

:01:06. > :01:10.can take up to ten years. Does that mean victims of child sex abuse had

:01:11. > :01:14.to wait ten years to get justice? May I also say that no one, no

:01:15. > :01:19.matter their standing in society, should be shielded from being

:01:20. > :01:25.prosecuted for sexual abuse crimes. Victims deserve justice. Now is the

:01:26. > :01:29.time to act, and I ask that the government do not delay, if even one

:01:30. > :01:40.more child is saved through expedient action, then it whll truly

:01:41. > :01:43.be worthwhile. Thank you for your indulgence Madam Deputy Spe`ker and

:01:44. > :01:49.a very happy Christmas to you too. I would like to thank the honourable

:01:50. > :01:51.members for bringing this ddbate, on the backbench business commhttee for

:01:52. > :01:58.allowing this debate to happen today. Many members already in this

:01:59. > :02:02.debate, have referred to thd excellent Children's Societx report,

:02:03. > :02:06.old enough to know better. While members have rightly decided the

:02:07. > :02:10.situation for children who `re already vulnerable, already in care

:02:11. > :02:14.and suffering mental health issues, already dangerously exploithng drugs

:02:15. > :02:21.and alcohol, I would like to focus on the issue of sexual exploitation

:02:22. > :02:25.by mobile and online activity. Something that all of the young

:02:26. > :02:29.people who have smartphones are vulnerable to. And by not t`ckling

:02:30. > :02:35.this effectively, we are at risk of setting another set of young people

:02:36. > :02:39.to become vulnerable, to have serious mental health probldms, to

:02:40. > :02:44.send them to drink and drugs exploitation and the not already

:02:45. > :02:47.doing so. And also, we have two recognised that many young people

:02:48. > :02:52.are both victims and if we `re not careful, could be defined as

:02:53. > :02:56.perpetrators. The law has to to be right-handed hast to work in tandem.

:02:57. > :03:09.-- and it has to work in tandem I would like to thank an experienced

:03:10. > :03:13.head teacher in Hounslow, executive head of the Cranford schools

:03:14. > :03:18.partnership who has direct experience of the situation and has

:03:19. > :03:25.solutions I know he will want to provide to the minister. Thd

:03:26. > :03:30.Children's Society report recommendations apply to abtse

:03:31. > :03:34.wherever it occurs but I suggest there is justification for further

:03:35. > :03:39.consideration of mobile and online culture and ways of helping to

:03:40. > :03:45.prevent abuse and reduce vulnerability to abuse of 16 and

:03:46. > :03:50.17-year-olds. The report dods not, I feel, address aspects of proactive

:03:51. > :03:55.prevention, which are cruci`l to success in this field. Therd are

:03:56. > :04:05.important aspects of child online and mobile safety and the agenda it

:04:06. > :04:12.appears are being ignored, not just by this report but all agencies the

:04:13. > :04:19.headteacher has come across. There needs to be work in key are`s with

:04:20. > :04:20.cross political support to help schools and parents safeguard

:04:21. > :04:30.children more effectively than merely dealing with amendments to

:04:31. > :04:33.the law. The guidance says child sexual exploitation can occtr

:04:34. > :04:39.through the use of technology without the child's immediate

:04:40. > :04:45.recognition. The definition in the sexual offences act of child sexual

:04:46. > :04:51.exploitation includes merelx the recording of an indecent im`ge of a

:04:52. > :04:57.young person. The key findings of old enough to do better report focus

:04:58. > :05:01.on strengthening the law. This age group is vulnerable and are

:05:02. > :05:07.inadvertently made more vulnerable in practice due to the potential is

:05:08. > :05:12.a clumsy, inappropriate or disproportionate use of leghslation.

:05:13. > :05:16.It is right to strengthen the law to afford these children the s`me

:05:17. > :05:21.protection as younger children, but it is part of a continuum, the

:05:22. > :05:26.circumstances before 16 years of age, that makes them vulner`ble and

:05:27. > :05:29.particularly online as they mature. Tackling offenders and strengthening

:05:30. > :05:36.the law is a small part of what needs to be done and is not on its

:05:37. > :05:39.own the real solution. Merely dealing with the law will do little

:05:40. > :05:46.good for the majority. Strengthening the law does not address people who

:05:47. > :05:53.could become victim is. We need to protect children earlier and support

:05:54. > :05:59.them proactively to prevent abuse. The law in this area is deshgned

:06:00. > :06:04.primarily to tackle serious offences committed particularly by adults

:06:05. > :06:11.against young people. The Children's Society report and the work of most

:06:12. > :06:14.agencies and organisations, while valuable, focuses too narrowly on

:06:15. > :06:19.already vulnerable children and fails to address the context of the

:06:20. > :06:25.wider young people'slives. H feel the recommendations, they already

:06:26. > :06:30.focus on reaction rather th`n prevention will stop I want more

:06:31. > :06:34.resource Inc and strategies, action to provide appropriate adult

:06:35. > :06:37.presence, not necessarily the police, in the mobile and cxber

:06:38. > :06:46.world in which many young children spend huge amounts of time growing

:06:47. > :06:51.up without us. The law must not be used where young people are engaging

:06:52. > :06:55.in NY 's activities, which lany do, which relate to the expectation and

:06:56. > :06:59.culture of mobile and cyber environment which appropriate adults

:07:00. > :07:06.have no and went to often wd leave them abandoned and to fend for

:07:07. > :07:10.themselves. A quote from thd headteacher, I always can tdnd a

:07:11. > :07:15.strong positive culture must dominate any community, including

:07:16. > :07:18.online and mobile because in its absence there will never be a vacuum

:07:19. > :07:24.and instead Street culture will fill the void. In strengthening the law

:07:25. > :07:29.that those aged between 16 `nd 7 steps must be taken to make sure the

:07:30. > :07:34.system does not criminalise young people who are victims. It will

:07:35. > :07:39.require training and support for the police, and others, whose rdsponse

:07:40. > :07:46.to such crimes appears alre`dy to be under confident and variabld. In

:07:47. > :07:50.this headteacher's schools they subscribe to a restorative Justice

:07:51. > :07:55.approach which may be appropriate in cases where mitigating factors are

:07:56. > :08:00.considered. Naive online activity by 16 and 17-year-olds that wotld be

:08:01. > :08:05.subject to strengthening of the law, such as online communication between

:08:06. > :08:10.peers, would be most frequent and is perhaps more able to be detdcted and

:08:11. > :08:15.could be easier to prosecutd, but it is important to remember in most

:08:16. > :08:21.cases these young people will remain victims even when they break such

:08:22. > :08:25.laws in the context of the environment and Welbeck occtpied.

:08:26. > :08:29.The majority of young peopld are mobile and online victim is a

:08:30. > :08:35.largely unsupervised cyber world and while the internet gets attdntion

:08:36. > :08:39.from safeguarding organisathons mobile activity and mobile ,based

:08:40. > :08:45.abuse are more rife and yet more neglected by adults. Parents,

:08:46. > :08:50.teachers and other adults responsible for the routine safety

:08:51. > :08:54.of children are often best placed to supervise and guide young pdople but

:08:55. > :08:58.are largely absent from this dangerous environment. We tdnd to

:08:59. > :09:05.operate in Facebook, but yotng people are not on Facebook so much

:09:06. > :09:11.now. The mobile world and the dark web get less attention and xet these

:09:12. > :09:19.are part of most children's experiences. I believe the figures

:09:20. > :09:21.quoted in the Children's Society report are a huge

:09:22. > :09:27.underrepresentation of the scale of the underlying problem. It hs the

:09:28. > :09:35.underlying problem that contributes to a culture and environment where

:09:36. > :09:40.it makes sexual offences more probable. It in affection normalises

:09:41. > :09:45.them in the minds of young people and girls especially. I can test

:09:46. > :09:52.their years a larger proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds, boys and girls,

:09:53. > :09:56.who experienced sexual and harassment and abuse and prdssure as

:09:57. > :10:01.many it is regular and unrelenting and sometimes they take part in it.

:10:02. > :10:05.This normalisation with no `dult presence to challenge it le`ds to

:10:06. > :10:12.other mobile and abuse. I stpport other mobile and abuse. I stpport

:10:13. > :10:17.all recommendations. But I feel insufficient and incomplete, without

:10:18. > :10:26.recommendations aimed at establishing different online and

:10:27. > :10:33.cyber culture and I see I al short of time. I will conclude by saying I

:10:34. > :10:37.welcome the announcement of the review and hopes she considdrs the

:10:38. > :10:45.specific issues of mobile and online sexual exploitation. And looks not

:10:46. > :10:48.only at the already vulnerable children, but the policies of all

:10:49. > :10:55.those who work with all our children and to look at consistent,

:10:56. > :11:04.deliverable and effective solutions, rather than just punishment under

:11:05. > :11:06.the law. First I would like to congratulate the honourable member

:11:07. > :11:11.from North West Hampshire and the honourable member from Stockport for

:11:12. > :11:15.securing this important deb`te and I would like to thank everybody who

:11:16. > :11:19.has spoken, because everybody has done it from passion, for m`ny years

:11:20. > :11:24.of experience and also out of a commitment to use the posithon of

:11:25. > :11:28.being a parliamentarian to lake a difference for the most vulnerable

:11:29. > :11:33.and I am always most proud when we have debates like this. The driver

:11:34. > :11:37.for the debate is to improvd the lives of vulnerable 16 and

:11:38. > :11:41.17-year-olds. Too often people of this age are treated like adults are

:11:42. > :11:47.not given additional protection given to young children. Tednagers

:11:48. > :11:54.of this age of more predisposed to risk-taking. The the most

:11:55. > :11:58.vulnerable, those with earlx experiences of abuse and neglect,

:11:59. > :12:04.the risk-taking can have serious consequences. 16 and 17-year-olds

:12:05. > :12:08.can give consent to sexual `cts but is it always informed consent? The

:12:09. > :12:14.law does not recognise that in many cases where children of this age are

:12:15. > :12:17.victims of sexual offences they are coerced into submission by

:12:18. > :12:22.perpetrators who supplied them with drugs and alcohol, or the young

:12:23. > :12:26.people scared of. The capachty to consent is impaired by an ilbalance

:12:27. > :12:35.of power between child and perpetrator and by the young

:12:36. > :12:42.person's use and perhaps dependency on alcohol and drugs before consent.

:12:43. > :12:47.The law does not specifically address that 16 and 17-year,olds,

:12:48. > :12:53.particularly vulnerable ones, Cammy Kerr worst to sexual abuse through

:12:54. > :12:59.adults supplying alcohol on private premises. It is welcome the serious

:13:00. > :13:02.crime act has created the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour

:13:03. > :13:06.in intimate and family relationships. It protects

:13:07. > :13:12.honourable individuals in shtuations of domestic abuse. Similar changes

:13:13. > :13:16.are needed to recognise that 16 and 17-year-olds can be coerced through

:13:17. > :13:23.drugs and alcohol or through fear for the purpose of sexual abuse in

:13:24. > :13:26.transient relationships. Thd sexual offences act of 2003 defines sexual

:13:27. > :13:33.offences against adults and children. For a number of crimes the

:13:34. > :13:39.act views young people aged 16 and 17 differently from those under 16

:13:40. > :13:44.and from adults. Young people aged 16 and 17 are recognised as children

:13:45. > :13:49.if victims of sexual exploitation. A person found guilty of such

:13:50. > :13:56.offences, whether aged 16 or 17 will incur shorter sentences than

:13:57. > :14:04.where the victim is under the age of 13, all between the ages of 13 and

:14:05. > :14:06.16. Despite the age-related gradation in sentences, the

:14:07. > :14:11.sentences for the offence of rape and sexual assault do not rdflect

:14:12. > :14:16.the age of the victim in thd same way. They do not recognise xoung

:14:17. > :14:20.people aged 16 and 17 are children and therefore more vulnerable than

:14:21. > :14:27.adults over 18. The legislation means there is no guarantee a sexual

:14:28. > :14:32.assault against a 16 or 17-xear old will incur a more severe sentence

:14:33. > :14:36.than an attack on an adult over 18. I turned to child abduction warning

:14:37. > :14:40.notices which are used to dhsrupt contact between a vulnerabld child

:14:41. > :14:45.and adult where there are concerns a child might be a risk of

:14:46. > :14:50.exploitation or harm. The notices are used to protect children under

:14:51. > :14:55.the age of 16 with consent of parents or guardians. The l`w also

:14:56. > :14:58.allows protection to a tiny proportion of vulnerable 16 and

:14:59. > :15:08.17-year-olds, those in local authority care. Police protocol

:15:09. > :15:11.specifies only this group of 16 and 17-year-olds can be protectdd

:15:12. > :15:20.through child abduction warning notices. Last year 4510 teenagers

:15:21. > :15:28.aged 16 or 17 became looked after children, but only 190 were taken

:15:29. > :15:33.into care formally. The othdr 4 20 became looked after children

:15:34. > :15:39.voluntarily. As only those formally taken into care and protectdd by the

:15:40. > :15:42.notices, the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds in care are not

:15:43. > :15:48.protected, bust denying the police a tool to keep them safe from sexual

:15:49. > :15:53.exploitation. In a situation where there are two children living in the

:15:54. > :15:56.same supported accommodation facing the same risk of exploitation and

:15:57. > :16:02.one is looked after under sdction 31, while the other under sdction

:16:03. > :16:08.20, the police can only protect the first child and the last chhld is

:16:09. > :16:13.left unprotected. There is clear evidence that children in c`re are

:16:14. > :16:16.more vulnerable to grooming and sexual exploitation. Will you look

:16:17. > :16:20.again to see of this vulner`ble group of 16 and 17-year-olds could

:16:21. > :16:24.have protection of the child abduction warning notice? Wd must

:16:25. > :16:29.remember there are other vulnerable 16 and 17-year-olds not looked after

:16:30. > :16:35.by local authorities, including Children In Need section 17 of the

:16:36. > :16:39.children's act who could be disabled, or young carers. 06 and

:16:40. > :16:45.17-year-olds assessed as holeless are not eligible. Both of these

:16:46. > :16:50.groups are at significant rhsk and would benefit from increased

:16:51. > :16:58.protection of a warning nothce. In Rotherham, there are 2360 young

:16:59. > :17:03.people aged 16 and 17. Analxsis of statistics shows there are 060 young

:17:04. > :17:07.people aged 16 and 17 assessed as a child in need in Rotherham. I want

:17:08. > :17:15.those hundred and 60 to havd the protection of a warning nothce so if

:17:16. > :17:19.they are exploited, if that process is started, the police can disrupt

:17:20. > :17:23.perpetrators and not just sht on their hands until abuse happens The

:17:24. > :17:28.minister has the perfect opportunity to make amendments in the upcoming

:17:29. > :17:33.police and criminal Justice Bill. An opportunity to send the message that

:17:34. > :17:37.16 and 17-year-olds are children and sexual offences against children

:17:38. > :17:41.will always be treated seriously. Will the minister agreed thd law

:17:42. > :17:46.should be clear that a young person consenting to drink alcohol or take

:17:47. > :17:57.drugs should never also be seen as consenting

:17:58. > :18:08.to a sexual activity with vtlnerable 16 and 17-year-olds? The guhdeline,

:18:09. > :18:12.the offences specifically of rape or sexual assault, does not currently

:18:13. > :18:17.include vulnerability due to a victim being under 18 as a harm

:18:18. > :18:21.factor, nor the culpability or aggravating factor. It means those

:18:22. > :18:25.convicted of these horrible crimes against children aged 16 and 17 may

:18:26. > :18:30.not get the sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime, dte to the

:18:31. > :18:34.victim being a child. Will the minister agree the sentencing

:18:35. > :18:38.guidelines should be amended to include a victim under 18 bding

:18:39. > :18:43.listed as a category to harl factor? It would strengthen the message that

:18:44. > :18:47.targeting children for sexu`l crimes will not be tolerated, and to raise

:18:48. > :18:51.awareness of the vulnerabilhty of children of this age.

:18:52. > :18:57.Thank you very much, it seels inKong ruious to do this during thhs

:18:58. > :19:03.debate. I would like to wish you and all the honourable members ` very

:19:04. > :19:07.happy Christmas. Can I congratulate the honourable members for North

:19:08. > :19:11.West Hampshire sand Stockport for securing this debate today `nd all

:19:12. > :19:14.the honourable members for their thoughtful contributions to the

:19:15. > :19:19.debate. It is clear from thd genuine concern shown today this is an

:19:20. > :19:23.important and challenging issue and one which deserves our careful

:19:24. > :19:27.consideration. May I start by reassuring all honourable mdmbers

:19:28. > :19:33.that as the minister for prdventing abuse and exploit ace I, and this

:19:34. > :19:36.Government, share their deshre to protect everyone, particularly young

:19:37. > :19:40.people from violence and sexual exploit ace. Like my Ronabld friend

:19:41. > :19:44.who did such an enormous amount in this field when he was minister in

:19:45. > :19:49.the department for education, I too have met victims and survivors as

:19:50. > :19:52.I'm sure others have. As thd honourable lady from Stockport said,

:19:53. > :19:56.it is vital we listen to those children. We listen to thosd

:19:57. > :20:01.victims, to the survivors and we hear what they said. Things like

:20:02. > :20:05.social media was raised. Chhldren feel they cannot escape frol social

:20:06. > :20:12.media. They don't feel they can turn off. If somebody's online trolling

:20:13. > :20:18.them, they don't feel they can escape from it. These are ilportant

:20:19. > :20:22.points. We need to listen and understand so we can take the right

:20:23. > :20:27.action. Talking of the issud of taking young people seriously. Has

:20:28. > :20:29.the minister come across thd Barnardo's service report

:20:30. > :20:34.highlighting when young vulnerable people go to authority figures they

:20:35. > :20:40.are not always taken seriously because they can also be engaged in

:20:41. > :20:44.anti-social behaviour. Can we make sure people in authority take all

:20:45. > :20:47.young people seriously? My honourable friend makes an

:20:48. > :20:53.incredibly important point. Behr fared owes who have just colpleted a

:20:54. > :20:56.trial of child trafficking `dvocates for the Government have written a

:20:57. > :21:00.ministerial statement which I placed in the library today, do incredible

:21:01. > :21:04.work to make sure children `re listened to. She is so right. We

:21:05. > :21:10.need to change culture. We need to change attitude. There was ` point

:21:11. > :21:13.made earlier about victims being perpetrated, the honourable lady

:21:14. > :21:18.from Brentford Isleworth. It is too often the case a victim becomes

:21:19. > :21:22.a perpetrator and is seen as a perpetrator and is not seen for the

:21:23. > :21:28.child that they are. We do need to change attitudes. This debate and

:21:29. > :21:35.contributions today will go a long way to doing that but there's a lot

:21:36. > :21:37.more to do. Protecting the vulnerable present complex

:21:38. > :21:42.challenges. Particularly whdn dealing with young people. Children

:21:43. > :21:46.are being deliberately targdted manipulated and coerced and

:21:47. > :21:51.consequently sexually explohted In this contest, the Government

:21:52. > :21:55.welcomes the research and fhndings found in the Children's Sochety

:21:56. > :22:00.report Old Enough To Know Bdtter. The report highlights a number of

:22:01. > :22:05.important areas, prevention, pro eblingt text, support and

:22:06. > :22:12.prosecution. Areas which repuire the coordinated focus of departlents and

:22:13. > :22:17.beyond. On that point of support, survivors Hull and East Ridhng which

:22:18. > :22:21.serves victims of CSE with lental health support services in ly

:22:22. > :22:25.constituency of Great Grimsby have seen a 20% of clients in thd last

:22:26. > :22:32.three years. The waiting list is now six months. Delays to mental health

:22:33. > :22:38.services for survivors are unacceptable and increase the risk

:22:39. > :22:43.of suicide and harm. Can I join her in paying tribute to the work done

:22:44. > :22:48.by that organisation. I will talk about mental health services later.

:22:49. > :22:51.I'm sure the organisation rdferred to does incredibly important work

:22:52. > :22:55.shown by the waiting list which clearly demonstrates there hs a

:22:56. > :22:59.demand and that they are re`lly tackling that in a very effdctive

:23:00. > :23:04.way. We need to work across Government. We've establishdd a

:23:05. > :23:07.cross-Government response to child sexual exploitation. I want to

:23:08. > :23:11.assure all honourable members this is a top priority for this

:23:12. > :23:14.Government. The Home Secret`ry launched the report tackling child

:23:15. > :23:18.sexual exploitation in March this year. If sets out a report to the

:23:19. > :23:22.failures we've seen in Rothdrham as represented by the honourable lady,

:23:23. > :23:25.Manchester, Oxford and elsewhere where children let down by the very

:23:26. > :23:31.people who were responsible for protecting them. It sets out how we

:23:32. > :23:35.will continue the urgent work of overhauling our police, sochal

:23:36. > :23:39.services and other agencies working together to protect vulnerable

:23:40. > :23:43.children. Significant work has and is taking place in cross-Government.

:23:44. > :23:47.Given the time available, I will not go through the points raised too

:23:48. > :23:51.today. I will say my door is always open. All honourable members are

:23:52. > :23:56.very welcome to come to see me and we can discuss their concerns and

:23:57. > :24:00.the work that is being done. I will be happy to share detail thd work we

:24:01. > :24:04.are doing across Government. I want to touch on the issue about

:24:05. > :24:11.terminology and child sexual exploitation. There is an issue with

:24:12. > :24:18.the terminology. We are revhewing that and the statutory guid`nce We

:24:19. > :24:25.will make clear what constitutes sexual exploitation as a form of

:24:26. > :24:27.abuse. We are working with ` number of stakeholders, children The

:24:28. > :24:32.Children's Society to strengthen the guidance. We'll publish a rdport

:24:33. > :24:39.from all actions tackling the CSE report early next year. We recognise

:24:40. > :24:41.that 16 and 17-year-olds ard a diverse group and can be

:24:42. > :24:49.particularly vulnerable. Thdy are children. But are old enough to

:24:50. > :24:52.legally consent to sexual activity where appropriate, a combin`tion

:24:53. > :24:58.that can be exploited and ldad to abuse. It is the contradicthon we

:24:59. > :25:02.see of the ever-decreasing `ge of sexual maturity compared to the age

:25:03. > :25:06.of emotional maturity which is not going down. The wider that gap

:25:07. > :25:13.becomes, the harder it is for us to be able to deal with the issues the

:25:14. > :25:17.very complex issues this prdsents. Clearly, the court process can

:25:18. > :25:20.present a particular challenge to vulnerable victims and witndsses.

:25:21. > :25:25.Everything involved has a responsibility to manage th`t

:25:26. > :25:29.impact. In January 2015, tool kits were launched for police,

:25:30. > :25:35.prosecutors and advocates addressing how consent is an issue for

:25:36. > :25:40.vulnerable victims. We've also completed training of our specialist

:25:41. > :25:44.prosecutors which will incltde crown court cases of child sexual abuse.

:25:45. > :25:50.In 2016, we are training in,house advocates too. The honourable lady

:25:51. > :25:55.from north Ayrshire and Aaron talked about the law that replies to sexual

:25:56. > :26:01.exploitation of children agdd 1 -17. I wanted to assure her the law in

:26:02. > :26:08.England and Wales already specifically preteches children in

:26:09. > :26:15.this age group. Provides offences criminalising the payment of sexual

:26:16. > :26:20.services of a child aged under 8 and the cause, inciting of ` child

:26:21. > :26:24.aged under 18. The honourable lady from Stockport who campaigndd so

:26:25. > :26:30.vigorously for this was a ldader in making sure the Government during

:26:31. > :26:33.the series crime act removed the term child prostitution and child

:26:34. > :26:39.properography from law. There are some areas where the guidance has

:26:40. > :26:44.not yet been updated. We ard working incredibly hard to make surd that

:26:45. > :26:46.happens and all agencies with responsibility for that guidance

:26:47. > :26:52.update it as soon as possible. This is a very clear message. A child

:26:53. > :26:57.cannot consent to sex. They are forced into sex. They do not consent

:26:58. > :27:03.to it. Therefore there cannot be such a thing as a child prostitute.

:27:04. > :27:08.My honourable friend from north west Hampshire talked about children in

:27:09. > :27:13.care. As did my honourable friend from Rochester. I wanted to make the

:27:14. > :27:19.point children in care are particularly vulernable. Th`t's why

:27:20. > :27:23.the children's act 1989 makds it any offence to take the child in care

:27:24. > :27:28.away from the important responsible for them without lawful authority

:27:29. > :27:33.and reasonable excuse. We also know 16 and 17-year-olds can be

:27:34. > :27:39.vulnerable in a variety of ways Some directly or indirectly linked

:27:40. > :27:43.to their age. That is also reflected in sensencing guidelines whdre

:27:44. > :27:49.additional aggravating factors include alcohol or drugs on the

:27:50. > :27:53.victim. Apologies for interrupting the minister. I want to go back to

:27:54. > :27:56.her last point. I don't belheve either the police or people working

:27:57. > :28:00.in care homes are aware of that piece of legislation. If thdre's

:28:01. > :28:05.anything she can do to make them aware, that would be great. When I

:28:06. > :28:08.speak to workers, they say the child's 16, I can't intervene if

:28:09. > :28:14.they want to go off with thhs person. I hope they've been

:28:15. > :28:18.listening to this debate. Btt even those few who are not watchhng,

:28:19. > :28:23.we'll make sure they are made aware of that particular legislathon. The

:28:24. > :28:27.honourable lady of Ayrshire and are ran talked about a young person s

:28:28. > :28:33.consent after taking drawings and alcohol. The law is clear that a

:28:34. > :28:41.young persons corn sent to take drugs or alcohol can never be viewed

:28:42. > :28:46.as consent to sexual acts. H'm making sure I deal with the

:28:47. > :28:51.important points. Turning on to mental health. Some of thosd

:28:52. > :28:55.children who experience the kind of trauma associated with child sexual

:28:56. > :29:00.exploitation will need support from mental health services. Moo I Right

:29:01. > :29:05.Honourable Friend from the Department of Health, we ard working

:29:06. > :29:10.we carefully, closely together on the crisis care to make surd mental

:29:11. > :29:15.health service are appropri`tely delivered. It is critical wd get

:29:16. > :29:21.this right for children. Th`t includes children aged 16-17. That

:29:22. > :29:26.is why we've commenced a major programme backed by additional

:29:27. > :29:32.investment to improve support provided to vulnerable 16 and 1

:29:33. > :29:37.yeermedz who experienced sexual abuse and need health services. I

:29:38. > :29:40.know an issue close to the heart of the honourable gentleman from

:29:41. > :29:44.Nottingham north building c`re around the needs of children, young

:29:45. > :29:49.people, their families, including their most vulernable. Can H thank

:29:50. > :29:53.the honourable lady from Hicham and poured enfor bringing details of the

:29:54. > :30:00.Wish Senator for the chamber today. I hope we can arrange time hn my

:30:01. > :30:06.diary to do so. So, Madam Ddputy Speaker, in conclusion, this

:30:07. > :30:10.Government recognises... Shd mentioned, we are all grateful for

:30:11. > :30:16.her mention of a centre of excellence to look at sexual

:30:17. > :30:19.exploitation. Can she be cldar this does include what people

:30:20. > :30:24.traditionally look at as sexual abuse of children and it will also

:30:25. > :30:28.include programmes to help perpetrators from re-offendhng. All

:30:29. > :30:37.that best practise will be hn one place? I can assure the honourable

:30:38. > :30:41.gentleman not just the What Works centre but work within the home

:30:42. > :30:45.office particularly that perpetrator programme. He's right, the `cademic

:30:46. > :30:50.evidence is very patchy in this field. We do need to get thd right

:30:51. > :30:54.evidence. We will not be able to dial... You know, we talk about

:30:55. > :31:00.conviction rates. A convicthon is a failure. Is a conviction me`ns a

:31:01. > :31:04.crime has happened. We want to stop those crimes from happening. It mean

:31:05. > :31:06.stopping the perpetrators and protecting young people to

:31:07. > :31:12.understand and know what abtse looks like. How to avoid being abtsed His

:31:13. > :31:16.work in this area for many, many years is incredibly valuabld and has

:31:17. > :31:22.helped us in Government to form our views on this Irish you. So, in

:31:23. > :31:25.conclusion, the Government recognises terrible scale and impact

:31:26. > :31:31.of these crimes particularlx on vulnerable victims. I'm protd of the

:31:32. > :31:36.progress we are making in t`ckling all aspects but there is sthll much

:31:37. > :31:41.to do. That is why I commend The Children's Society for their

:31:42. > :31:44.invaluable work in drawing `ttention to particularly vulnerabilities and

:31:45. > :31:49.recommending actions. Honourable members from all sides of the House

:31:50. > :31:56.have advocated quite wonderfully on behalf of vulnerable in sochety I

:31:57. > :32:02.commend them all for doing so. Thank you. Can I thank all members for

:32:03. > :32:04.taking part in this thoughtful and important debate and for Thd

:32:05. > :32:08.Children's Society for the support they've offered to a number of us in

:32:09. > :32:13.compiling our contributions. Also, can I thank the minister for her

:32:14. > :32:19.offer of an open door which I took as a meeting to talk about perhaps

:32:20. > :32:23.putting together some clausds in the Criminal Justice Bill which may

:32:24. > :32:26.close some of these loopholds. But I hope this can be a start of

:32:27. > :32:30.examination before that pill appears, of what more we can do to

:32:31. > :32:37.protect children. There's evidence there as my honourable friend for

:32:38. > :32:39.east Worthing and Shoreham said The Children's Commissioner report 012

:32:40. > :32:44.pointed to things which need to be done. We've the childrens rdport and

:32:45. > :32:47.appalling cases we see in the newspapers of similar accounts.

:32:48. > :32:51.Something needs to change. Ht is quite obvious a lot of the

:32:52. > :32:55.legislation around the protdction of children in law is elderly. Not

:32:56. > :32:59.looked at since the 1980s after a period of rapid change. I know from

:33:00. > :33:05.my own experience, children have just been through another pdriod of

:33:06. > :33:09.enormously rapid change. Thd legislation has lagged behind. I'd

:33:10. > :33:13.welcome working with members and the minister and hopefully the Home

:33:14. > :33:17.Secretary and the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice to see

:33:18. > :33:19.what more we can do in the tpcoming Criminal Justice Bill to protect

:33:20. > :33:29.young people. The question is as on the order

:33:30. > :33:41.paper. As many of that opinhon, say I. The eyes have it. A point of

:33:42. > :33:44.order, Mr Graham Allen. Verx briefly, the brilliant way hn which

:33:45. > :33:48.you managed the last debate meant everyone who wanted to speak did so

:33:49. > :33:55.and they all kept within ten minutes, and could you posshbly work

:33:56. > :33:58.that magic again? I genuinely thank the honourable gentleman very much

:33:59. > :34:04.indeed for his excellent pohnt of order, and I am very pleased to have

:34:05. > :34:10.it noted that the debate ended precisely at 3:15pm, which hs what I

:34:11. > :34:17.intended. And the next debate will end at 5pm, whether I intended it or

:34:18. > :34:21.not. I do hope that by the same courteous behaviour from melbers, we

:34:22. > :34:27.will accommodate everyone, hncluding the frontbenchers. We will

:34:28. > :34:35.accommodate everyone without the need for a formal limit on speeches.

:34:36. > :34:47.We now come to the debate on conception to age two, the first

:34:48. > :34:54.1001 days. Mr Tim Lawton to move. Old whips habits die hard whth the

:34:55. > :34:57.member for Nottingham South Can I rise, too, and baked a move that the

:34:58. > :35:03.motion on the order paper in my name and that of honourable membdrs, and

:35:04. > :35:08.in my seventh contribution of the day, wish you a happy Christmas

:35:09. > :35:11.when it starts eventually. H am grateful to the backbench committee

:35:12. > :35:16.for giving us this important debate, particularly so close to thd launch

:35:17. > :35:19.of this manifesto, which I `m also here to promote and which every

:35:20. > :35:25.member in this chamber and beyond has been sent a copy of. I `m also

:35:26. > :35:30.grateful to those honourabld members who have stayed for the last debate

:35:31. > :35:35.on the last day before the Christmas recess. It is perhaps appropriate,

:35:36. > :35:40.Madam Deputy Speaker, that the last debate should be about babids and

:35:41. > :35:45.conception to age two, just eight days before we celebrate ond

:35:46. > :35:50.particular baby, albeit subject of an Immaculate Conception, the

:35:51. > :35:53.confusion over paternity and a somewhat unprepared and astounded

:35:54. > :35:56.mother and inadequate berthhng facilities could have given rise to

:35:57. > :36:02.some attachment dysfunction problems in normal circumstances. It is good

:36:03. > :36:06.to see the minister here. I know his door is well and truly open to what

:36:07. > :36:09.we have been promoting and ht is particularly good to see his

:36:10. > :36:16.colleague and my old great friend, the now energy Minister. I want to

:36:17. > :36:19.pay tribute to her at this stage, the member for South

:36:20. > :36:26.Northamptonshire, who effectively conceived this whole manifesto and

:36:27. > :36:30.has given so much to championing the cause of early years attachlent and

:36:31. > :36:34.perinatal mental health in this house, and for many years bdfore she

:36:35. > :36:41.came to this house and conthnues to combine her advocacy with hdr new

:36:42. > :36:45.day job. She championed the 100 days critical manifesto, whhch is

:36:46. > :36:48.now three years old and was re-launched this week with lore

:36:49. > :36:52.support and recognition than ever before. Because on Monday on the

:36:53. > :36:57.House of Commons terrace, M`dam Deputy Speaker, no fewer th`n 2 0

:36:58. > :37:01.people came to support this manifesto, academics, senior

:37:02. > :37:02.practitioners in paediatric and mental health, commissioners,

:37:03. > :37:07.voluntary organisations and politicians of all parties. It is

:37:08. > :37:10.particularly gratifying that it has now been sponsored by members from

:37:11. > :37:17.eight different parties across all sides of this house. It really is a

:37:18. > :37:21.genuine cross-party consensts promoting this manifesto. There has

:37:22. > :37:28.been big progress since it was first launched in 2012, and when ht was

:37:29. > :37:33.promoted in the party conferences in 2013. I think the 1001 Crithcal Days

:37:34. > :37:39.manifesto is now becoming p`rt of the mainstream. It was supported at

:37:40. > :37:43.its launch and continues to be by the wave trust. I be to George

:37:44. > :37:48.Hoskin and the work he has done And well before our time in this house

:37:49. > :37:52.as well, the NSPCC and the parent and inventing partnership charity,

:37:53. > :37:58.who I disclose an interest `s the chairman of trustees, where it is

:37:59. > :38:01.putting the 1001 Critical D`ys manifesto into practical action to

:38:02. > :38:04.children's centres around the country and changing the mindset of

:38:05. > :38:11.commissioners. Our projects which started in Oxford, and now hn the

:38:12. > :38:14.honourable lady's constituency, Enfield, Brighton, Croydon `nd

:38:15. > :38:20.Newcastle coming online in the near future. We want to spread that

:38:21. > :38:23.network across the country. Because it is about changing mindset Tess of

:38:24. > :38:29.how we intervene early and reconfigure our health, particularly

:38:30. > :38:33.mental health services, education and children's social care services

:38:34. > :38:38.to intervene earlier to prevent the causes of mental health problems for

:38:39. > :38:42.mother and baby, leading to life disadvantage is become mired in a

:38:43. > :38:46.vicious cycle of generation`l underachievement, or whether we

:38:47. > :38:48.continue to fire fight symptoms at cost to our society, both

:38:49. > :38:53.financially and more import`ntly socially. I think the Government has

:38:54. > :38:57.made progress, through the troubled families programme, in acknowledging

:38:58. > :39:00.that if we recognise the problems of often dysfunctional families early

:39:01. > :39:04.and intervene with intensivd focus and support, we can often gdt

:39:05. > :39:08.families back onto and convdrt them to balanced, then contributhng

:39:09. > :39:13.members of society, and not a drain and challenge on it. I am proud to

:39:14. > :39:18.be involved with at work whdn it was started in my time as a minhster in

:39:19. > :39:21.the Department for Education. But we need to go further in what H have

:39:22. > :39:25.termed a pre-troubled familhes programme, which is what effectively

:39:26. > :39:29.the 1001 Critical Days and ` festival is about, and this is why.

:39:30. > :39:36.Last year, the maternal mental health Alliance, produced a report

:39:37. > :39:41.estimating the cost of perinatal mental illness at more than ?8

:39:42. > :39:45.billion for each one year cohort of births in the UK. That is epuivalent

:39:46. > :39:50.to a cost of almost ?10,000 for every British birth. Nearly three

:39:51. > :39:54.quarters of the cost relates to adverse impacts on the child rather

:39:55. > :39:59.than the mother. Perinatal lental health problems are very colmon

:40:00. > :40:03.affecting up to 20% of women at some point during and after pregnancy.

:40:04. > :40:07.Yet about half of all cases of perinatal depression and anxiety go

:40:08. > :40:13.undetected, and many which `re detected failed to receive dvidence

:40:14. > :40:15.-based forms of treatment. @s the Minister knows, the current

:40:16. > :40:19.provision of services is patchy at best, with significant vari`tion in

:40:20. > :40:27.coverage and quality around the country. Most alarmingly, jtst % of

:40:28. > :40:29.CCGs in England have a strategy for commissioning perinatal mental

:40:30. > :40:35.health services and a large majority have no plans to develop ond. I am

:40:36. > :40:40.sure with the new Minister's laser-like focus and zeal, `nd the

:40:41. > :40:45.fact that NHS England has adopted perinatal health as a priorhty, this

:40:46. > :40:49.will start to change soon. So why does this matter, Madam Deptty

:40:50. > :40:52.Speaker? Apart from the obvhous major public health epidemic going

:40:53. > :40:57.under appreciated at its extreme, the statistics are alarming. Last

:40:58. > :41:01.week a report by a maternal research group analysing maternal de`ths

:41:02. > :41:05.between 2011-13 around that one in four of those between six wdeks and

:41:06. > :41:10.one year after giving birth were linked to mental health isstes. One

:41:11. > :41:13.in seven were as a result of suicide, whilst many were

:41:14. > :41:19.instrumental in the deaths of one in 11 new mothers within the fhrst six

:41:20. > :41:23.weeks after giving birth. At this extreme, these figures are shocking.

:41:24. > :41:27.But they are also largely preventable, with better and early

:41:28. > :41:32.detection and intervention. Yet 40% of those women who committed suicide

:41:33. > :41:36.in that timescale would not have been able to access any specialist

:41:37. > :41:40.perinatal mental health card in their areas. For those who lived

:41:41. > :41:45.through pregnancy and the e`rly years of a baby with a ment`l

:41:46. > :41:48.illness, the impact on the child can be considerable. Another major

:41:49. > :41:52.negative impact will be substance abuse, poor parenting skills, often

:41:53. > :41:57.inherited as a result of a xoung mum being poorly parented herself, and

:41:58. > :42:00.being exposed to domestic vholence. Incredibly, over one third of

:42:01. > :42:06.domestic violence cases beghn in pregnancy. It is a statistic that I

:42:07. > :42:09.think many of us will find hard to believe. Sadly, these negathve

:42:10. > :42:13.influences are all too prev`lent among new parents, and this is by no

:42:14. > :42:17.means a problem limited to those from poorer backgrounds. Parents

:42:18. > :42:22.unable to form a strong att`chment with a new baby come from all parts

:42:23. > :42:25.of society, and we need a multifaceted approach for ddtection

:42:26. > :42:30.and intervention at all levdls. Children need nurturing frol the

:42:31. > :42:32.earliest age, from birth to age 18 months it is calculated that

:42:33. > :42:38.connections in the brain ard created at a rate of 1 million per second.

:42:39. > :42:43.The earliest experiences sh`ped a baby's brain development, lhterally,

:42:44. > :42:47.and have a lifelong -- lifelong impact on emotional and mental

:42:48. > :42:50.health. A pregnant mother stffering from stress can sometimes p`ss on

:42:51. > :42:54.the message to the baby that the world will be dangerous, so that as

:42:55. > :42:57.a child they will struggle with social and emotional problels. The

:42:58. > :43:03.child's response to emotions of fear and danger have been set too high

:43:04. > :43:07.alert. This can also occur during the first 1001 days when a baby is

:43:08. > :43:12.exposed to stress from any cause in the family, such as rental hllness,

:43:13. > :43:16.maltreatment, exposure to domestic violence. Attachment is the name

:43:17. > :43:20.given to the bond a baby makes with its caregivers or parents. There is

:43:21. > :43:24.long-standing evidence that a baby's social and emotional development is

:43:25. > :43:28.affected by his or her attachment to his or her parents. As the Chief

:43:29. > :43:33.Medical Officer puts it in her forward, endorsing the 1001 Critical

:43:34. > :43:37.Days manifesto, the early ydars of life are a crucial period of change.

:43:38. > :43:41.Alongside adolescence, this is a key moment for brain development. As our

:43:42. > :43:44.understanding of the sciencd of development improves, it becomes

:43:45. > :43:49.clearer how the events that happen to children and babies Leagte 2

:43:50. > :43:54.structural changes with lifdlong ramifications. Science is hdlping us

:43:55. > :43:58.understand how love and nurture by caring adults is hard-wired into the

:43:59. > :44:02.brains of children. In a report from the all-party group for the first

:44:03. > :44:07.thousand and one critical d`ys, which I had the privilege to chair,

:44:08. > :44:09.produced back in February, called building great Britons, which went

:44:10. > :44:14.to every member in this house and was common entry to the 1000

:44:15. > :44:18.Critical Days manifesto, we calculated that the cost of child

:44:19. > :44:24.neglect came to 15 billion hn each and every year. That makes `

:44:25. > :44:28.combined total, with the perinatal mental health costs, of over ?2

:44:29. > :44:33.billion every year for getthng it wrong for our youngest children and

:44:34. > :44:37.their parents. That is equivalent to two thirds of the annual defence

:44:38. > :44:44.budget. In concentrating on perinatal illness around yotng mums

:44:45. > :44:47.it is also important to strdss how a child benefits most from forming

:44:48. > :44:54.strong and empathetic attachments with both his or her parents, and we

:44:55. > :44:57.should not forget that 39% of first-time fathers also expdrienced

:44:58. > :45:03.high levels of distress in ` child's first year. We need to make for a

:45:04. > :45:06.stronghold family approach, and it is also especially important to get

:45:07. > :45:13.that strong attachment with fathers in the second year of a child's life

:45:14. > :45:17.as well. There are also big problems with 1 million children who suffer

:45:18. > :45:21.from the type of problems, @DHD conduct disorder, etc, that are

:45:22. > :45:26.increased by antenatal deprdssion, anxiety and stress. Yet the cost of

:45:27. > :45:29.appropriate and timely intervention and support has been calcul`ted at a

:45:30. > :45:35.fraction of the annual cost of failure. Roughly, it would dquate to

:45:36. > :45:42.?1.3 billion per annum in an average CCG with a budget of around 500

:45:43. > :45:44.million. The report calculates that preventing these adverse chhldhood

:45:45. > :45:50.experiences could reduce hard drug use later in life by 59%, could

:45:51. > :45:56.reduce in Castle racial and by 3%, could reduce violence by 51$ and