Cherie Booth calls for commissioner

A children’s commissioner ought to be an integral part of the
government’s green paper on children, barrister Cherie Booth told
delegates.

Booth said a children’s commissioner was paramount to ensuring
children’s rights in England were given political priority.

She urged the government to follow the lead of Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland and appoint a children’s commissioner.

Failure to do so would risk children’s rights “languishing near the
bottom of the political agenda”.

A commissioner was also needed to ensure the EU convention on the
rights of the child was met and to act as a “source of expertise”
on children’s issues.

She said it was important to show commitment to young people and
signal that their views were being taken seriously.

“I foresee the commissioner’s role as ensuring that actions are
followed through with continued assessments of their
effectiveness,” the prime minister’s wife said.