Government urged to create ministry for children

The government has been urged to create a ministry for children
and young people.

The call in an early day motion to the House of Commons comes
from Lancaster and Wyre MP Hilton Dawson, a former social services
manager, who wants the new department’s first job to be the
creation of children’s rights commissioners in all parts of the
United Kingdom.

It should also overhaul child protection, improve the care
system, give children the same protection from assault as adults,
ensure that all childcare legislation applies to young asylum
seekers, and enable children to take part in decision making at all
levels, the motion says.

The motion, which is backed by 11 other MPs, also calls for the
new ministry to tackle the “huge problem of bullying”, guarantee
young people good access to mental health services, to act to end
child poverty, boost education and health standards for young
people and to assist with the implementation of the UN Convention
on Children’s Rights across the world.

Such a ministry would prove that the current Labour
administration was “a great government for children”, said
Dawson.