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The Welsh Affairs committee has reiterated its call for the children’s commissioner for Wales to have a remit that covers all aspects of Welsh children’s lives, writes Clare Jerrom.

In its fifth report, the committee claims the proposals in the Children Bill for the commissioner for England’s remit to include non-devolved matters in Wales will have an “undesirable impact” which could undermine the Welsh commissioner’s work.

The report highlights that the government has stressed that it does not wish to use the Children Bill as a vehicle for extending the devolution settlement in Wales. “We conclude that this argument is misguided and puts into question the minister’s commitment to placing the needs of children over that of spurious bureaucratic expediency.”

Fears are also raised that the government has not correctly assessed the resources for the children’s commissioner for England in respect for his or her obligations to Wales.

The committee warns that without a physical presence in Wales, the role of promoting the English commissioner could fall to the Welsh commissioner which would be an “inappropriate call on his resources”.

The committee slams the government for failing to consult children in Wales or the Welsh commissioner as reinforcing “the notion that Wales remains on the margins of the UK government’s consciousness”.

Children’s minister Margaret Hodge is also accused of “washing her hands of her responsibilities towards Welsh children”, by passing responsibility for documentation to be provided in the Welsh language to the commissioner for England.

Report from www.parliament.uk