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The government has been criticised for its failure to appoint an independent children's commissioner for England by the parliamentary joint committee on human rights, writes Amy Taylor.

A report from the committee criticises the government for having not yet reached a decision over a children's commissioner for England despite being convinced of its merits for the children of Northern Ireland.

It goes on to give support to the role of a commissioner arguing that existing arrangements are not sufficiently independent, which compromises the promotion of children's interests.

It said that the role is also necessary to ensure children's rights are considered in policy making, with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child raising concerns over the issue, and having called for the establishment of an independent human rights institution for children in the UK for the last eight years.

Wales already has an independent commissioner and Scotland and Northern Ireland are in the process of establishing them, but the committee accuses the government of "a rather lackadaisical effort to get to grips with learning from the experience of the devolved administrations".

Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow said: "The committee's report is a wake up call to minsters to allow children to have an independent, impartial and unprejudiced voice about the way decisions are taken in their name."