Labour calls on Government to rethink changes to the law which may cause harm to vulnerable children

Today (1st May), Labour is calling on the Government to rethink changes to the law which may put some of the most vulnerable children and adult in the country at greater risk of harm.

Labour understands the strain civil servants, the government and local authorities are under but with the Children’s Commissioner intervening today to say that she ‘’would like to see all the regulations revoked, as I do not believe that there is sufficient justification to introduce them’’, we are calling on the Government to urgently make time to debate these changes in the House of Commons.

Rebecca Long Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“This is a very significant intervention from the Children’s Commissioner. We understand the increased pressures the civil service, government and local authorities are under but, as she has said, there is no justification for scrapping protections for vulnerable children in this crisis.

“Labour has raised concerns earlier in the week about these changes and have been consulting with the children’s sector.

“We are in full agreement that these regulations are unnecessary and increase the risk of harm to vulnerable children at a time when we should be providing them with more support not less.

“The Government must urgently make time to debate these regulations in Parliament and if it will not, we will take action to force them to do so.’’