House of Commons · Westminster Hall
28 March 2023 · 3 other contributors · 6,476 words
Opened by Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Responding minister: Claire Coutinho
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Christine Jardine raised concerns about bereaved children: registry — [sir gary streeter in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
She asks the government to invest time in developing an administrative solution to identify and support bereaved children by introducing a system where death registration includes information on affected children, ensuring they receive necessary information about available support services.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The speaker is concerned about the lack of support and recognition for bereaved children, noting that many families are unaware of available services. She draws from personal experience, highlighting how her family's loss of a father decades ago left them without professional support and unaware of potential assistance.
Emphasises the importance of support for bereaved children and highlights that by age 10, 60% of children have experienced a family member's loss. Suggests schools play a crucial role in identifying and supporting these children through guidance teachers and pupil support assistants.
Jim Shannon highlighted the emotional and sensitive nature of bereaved children, citing a case from his constituency where an eight-year-old girl lost her father to paramilitaries. He noted that referrals to child and adolescent mental health services in Northern Ireland increased by 25% but capacity did not rise, suggesting a waiting list issue for urgent help. Shannon also mentioned that approximately one parent every 20 minutes dies, leaving dependent children, with around 4.7% of young people experiencing parental death by age 16. He emphasised the need to collect data on bereaved children and requested that a registry be established to automatically provide necessary support.
Stephen Morgan highlighted the lack of official statistics on bereaved children in the UK, noting that one in 29 children has experienced the death of a parent or sibling according to Winston's Wish. He stressed the importance of providing support structures for grieving children and ensuring that teachers direct them towards expert resources in their community.
Government Response
Claire CoutinhoThe Government recognise the profound impact bereavement can have on a child's life, their mental health, wellbeing, and academic performance. Claire Coutinho stated that there are no official statistics recording the number of bereaved children in the UK but provided estimates from sources such as the census and mortality statistics. The Minister highlighted various initiatives including 'Stable Homes, Built on Love', the Supporting Families Programme, and investments in mental health services and training for school staff to support bereaved children. Additionally, Claire Coutinho mentioned that £1.3 billion recovery premium funding has been provided for schools to support pupil mental health and wellbeing.