Brown promises action over Baby P report

Published on Wednesday 12 November 2008 12:21

PRIME Minister Gordon Brown said the death of Baby P "raises serious questions that we have to address" and promised the Government would take action after receiving a report today from Haringey Council, which identified "weaknesses" in procedures.

But Tory leader David Cameron said the local review "cannot possibly" be undertaken by the council's own children's services director.

The exchanges descended into bitter recriminations after Mr Brown said he regretted the Opposition leader making a "party political" issue of the tragic case.

Tory MPs reacted furiously shouting "cheap" and "shameful" at the Prime Minister.

Speaker Michael Martin had to repeatedly intervene, appealing for both sides to be quiet and let the two party leaders speak.

Mr Cameron also branded Mr Brown's remark "cheap" and demanded he withdraw it, having asked "perfectly reasonable" questions about the case.

But Mr Brown refused to do this, insisting instead that it was right to maximise agreement on this "sad and tragic case".

The Government had acted immediately in the aftermath of the court case. What mattered was the protection of young children, he said.

Mr Brown said people were "not only shocked and saddened but horrified and angered" by the case.

Mr Cameron was visibly angry about the Prime Minister's response to his questions, repeatedly stabbing the despatch box with his finger as he made his points.

Exchanges in the Commons at question time began routinely but relations between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron quickly seemed to sink to new depths to the consternation of the Speaker.

The Tory leader said: "I want to ask about the tragic death of Baby P.

"This happened in the same children's services department that was responsible for Victoria Climbie and yet again nobody is taking responsibility, nobody has resigned.

"Do you agree with me that the Haringey inquiry is completely unacceptable.

"It is being led by Mrs Shoesmith, who is the council's own director of children's services.

"Do you agree with me she cannot possibly investigate the failure of her own department?"

It was revealed yesterday that social workers, police and health professionals failed to save him despite 60 visits over eight months, during which he suffered more than 50 injuries.

Tory leader David Cameron said the local review "cannot possibly" be undertaken by the council's own children's services director.

In furious exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron was shouted down as he tried to ask questions about the tragedy, and responded: "I tell you what's shameful and that's trying to shout down someone who is asking reasonable questions about what's gone wrong."

Mr Brown insisted there was common ground across parties on the situation, and said he regretted "making a party political issue of this".

Mr Cameron accused the Prime Minister of making a "cheap" comment, and demanded that he withdraw the claim that he had been "playing politics".

Mr Brown responded by insisting again that there was "common ground on both sides of the House", but a clearly angry Mr Cameron said: "All I ask is that the Prime Minster withdraws his allegation that I was in any way playing party politics."

Earlier, Children's Minister Beverley Hughes described decisions made in the case of a toddler who died a harrowing death as "very, very wrong" as she demanded further investigation of the local authority responsible.

Ms Hughes said senior management levels of Haringey Council in north London needed to be examined to see if anyone should take responsibility for the death of the baby.

The death of the little boy comes as a heavy blow to Haringey, which was severely criticised following the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000.

Lord Laming, who called for a series of reforms following the Climbie tragedy, has been asked by Ms Hughes to prepare an independent report into the implementation of his reforms across the country.

Asked on GMTV about the case, Ms Hughes said the toddler was on the child protection register and agencies had worked together on his case. But she said decisions made had been clearly "very, very wrong".

Sharon Shoesmith, chairwoman of Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board, revealed yesterday that just three people have received formal written warnings over the death of the little boy.

GMTV presenter Ben Shephard told Ms Hughes that the statement yesterday by Ms Shoesmith that "the very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children" showed "complete apathy" and was "despicable".

He said: "That is exactly what they should be able to do."

Ms Hughes replied: "I think that is right, in a case like this ... and this is the difference with Victoria Climbie largely, where it was known the child was being injured, the child was on the child protection register, all the agencies, unlike in the Victoria Climbie case, were working together.

"Now it is unacceptable that in a case like that, we can't say that we can protect children. That is unacceptable.

"That is why I have asked Lord Laming to give me a view as to what the situation is like in terms of progress of implementing his report across the country.

"It is why I have also said I am looking personally into the case of Haringey. I think what has happened there does need further examination."

She added that the system had been applied "properly" in the case but the way it was implemented and the decisions made in the case were clearly wrong.

Ms Hughes' remarks come as campaigners demanded an inquiry into the death of the little boy.

Two days before he died, a doctor failed to spot that his back and ribs were broken, later claiming the child was "miserable and cranky".

The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) yesterday defended its handling of the case and said no one would lose their job.

Mor Dioum, director of the Victoria Climbie foundation, which campaigns to improve child protection, called for a public inquiry, saying: "This case is worse than Climbie. The signs were there and not followed."

There were "systematic and operational failures that led to the tragic and sad death of such a beautiful child", he said.

The 32-year-old partner of the baby's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was yesterday found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

House guest Jason Owen, 36, of Bromley, Kent was also convicted of the charge at the Old Bailey. Neither showed any emotion.

The baby's mother had already pleaded guilty to the same allegation, which carries a maximum 14-year jail term.

All three have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on December 15.

The 32-year-old was cleared of murder by jurors after they were directed to convict him of the lesser charge if they could not agree on who caused the injuries in the house where the three adults were living.

Judge Stephen Kramer excused them from further service for 10 years, saying: "You have heard evidence of a harrowing nature and you have seen things which in the course of your everyday life you would not be expected to see."

Local MP Lynne Featherstone said the child fell through "safety net after safety net" and called for an independent investigation by the Children's Commissioner.

"The Children's Act was borne out of tragedy in Haringey after the death of Victoria Climbie," she said.

"Yet eight years after her death, the law created to stop this happening again has failed to prevent a similar tragedy in the same borough."

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: "This is a shocking tragedy which must now lead to a fully independent investigation by the Children's Commissioner into what went so terribly wrong.

"Eight years after the death of Victoria Climbie the law created to stop this happening again has failed. Clearly all the circumstances must be examined again thoroughly."

Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls said: "The death of Baby P in Haringey is a very tragic case that will have shocked and appalled the country.

"It makes all of us question how someone could do such a terrible thing to a child and set out to deceive the very people trying to help."

He added: "We will be considering carefully the Serious Case Review in this case and whether there needs to be a further investigation of child protection procedures and practices amongst local agencies in Haringey."

In a written ministerial statement to MPs, Mr Balls said Lord Laming expected to submit his findings early next year.

He went on: "Safeguarding children is the responsibility of us all. It is vital that we strive for the best possible practice so that vulnerable children receive the protection they need."