Sunday 27 May 2012

The definition of neglect

I was a bit depressed to hear Graham Stuart MP, the chairman of the House of Commons Education Committee, asking Professor Eileen Munro whether the definition of child neglect should be changed - http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=10841

But the representatives of some leading children’s charities, who seem to have got this bee in their bonnets, have already badgered his committee, so I suppose he has some excuse.

I cheered up when Prof. Munro told him that she saw no reasons to change the definitions of the Children Act 1989. She seemed less certain about the crime of Child Cruelty, as set out in Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, but she gave Stuart no reason to think that this should be changed either.

I hope the Committee don’t get side tracked on this issue of the definition of neglect. There are more important things to think about.