Child Abuse: Police Investigations

Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Yes, those are some of the most vulnerable children in our society and it is right that we should deal with this and bring the perpetrators to book.

[Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall (Lab)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the General Medical Council did some work a couple of years ago, with which I was involved, on the involvement of general practitioners and other doctors in spotting child abuse? Is she also aware that one issue that was most clearly a problem was the multiagency relationships that she talked of in one of her earlier answers? Although there are good intentions in relation to multiagency work, is she confident that it is being carried out in a coherent way?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Baroness raises a very valid point. That is why I mentioned earlier the different pictures across various multiagency teams. This is an area for improvement.