Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Child Cruelty Register

Tuesday 24 May 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister was asked about discussions on introducing a child cruelty register following the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
  • The Minister acknowledged that child cruelty is widely condemned and the Government aims to provide comprehensive legal protection for children.
  • The Minister noted the difficulty in data and information sharing, raised by the hon. Friend, as highlighted in the recent care review.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nicholas Fletcher
Justice & Courts Safeguarding & DBS
Context

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 was enacted to address child safety issues.

Question

What discussions has the Minister had with Cabinet colleagues on introducing a child cruelty register following the enactment of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022?

Answer from Tom Pursglove

The entire House and the whole country speak with one voice in saying that child cruelty is abhorrent. The Government are determined to ensure that the law offers the fullest protection to children; that is why we brought forward the sentencing measures through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. My right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor has asked the Department for Education and the Home Office to consider issues around the management of child cruelty offenders, including the introduction of a register.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the importance but does not provide specific details on discussions or commitments about introducing a register.

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Q2 Nicholas Fletcher
Safeguarding & DBS Children & Families
Context

Cases of child abuse have been reported in the media, highlighting issues with data sharing and information management.

Question

Does the Minister agree that creating a child cruelty register would be helpful for those involved in child welfare, such as social workers and police? Would it ensure no looked-after child is placed with anyone on such a register?

Answer from Tom Pursglove

My hon. Friend is right to raise this matter, not least given the hugely troubling and distressing cases that we have seen reported in the media of late. One thing we know, which was borne out in the care review published yesterday, is that there is a challenge with data and information sharing between agencies. I am sure that my counterparts in both the Department for Education and the Home Office will consider whether a register of child cruelty offenders would improve child safeguarding processes, alongside wider learning from the findings of forthcoming reviews, such as that into the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the issues but does not provide a specific commitment on introducing or supporting the creation of a child cruelty register.

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