Report on proposed Vulnerable Children LCO published

The Assembly’s Proposed Vulnerable Children Legislative Competence Order (LCO) Committee agrees that new legislative powers should be conferred on the Assembly in relation to vulnerable children and child poverty.

The Committee has published its report on the Welsh Assembly Government’s proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No.3) Order 2007, in which it agrees, in principle, that the Government of Wales Act 2006 should be amended to give the Assembly new powers to make legislation under Field 15, which relates to social welfare.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to amend the proposed Order to make specific reference to child poverty, given that this is a central theme of the proposed Order.  It further recommends that the Welsh Assembly Government clarify its position with regard to the proposed Order enabling the Assembly to introduce a ban on the physical punishment of children, and recommends that the Minister pursue these powers in primary legislation if this cannot be achieved in the proposed Order. Additionally, the report recommends that the proposed Order should refer specifically to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to enable the Assembly to incorporate these global requirements in legislation drawn from the new legislative competence.

Karen Sinclair AM, Chair of the Committee, said:

“The protection of vulnerable children and children in poverty is an important area in which, under the proposed Order, the Assembly can gain legislative competence.  We have scrutinised the Order very carefully and hope that legislation emanating from this area of competence will have a direct and beneficial impact on disadvantaged and vulnerable children in Wales.

“As part of our scrutiny role, we have consulted a range of key stakeholder organisations to help inform our lines of inquiry and have considered written and oral evidence from contributors.

“Whilst we support the Government’s proposed Order in principle, we have suggested some specific areas where the Order could be strengthened.  We hope that our recommendations will enable the Assembly to make legislation that better support the needs of children in Wales, and we urge the Welsh Assembly Government to consider these recommendations before it finalises the draft Order.”

Further information on the proposed Order and the legislative process