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c/o Council for Disabled Children
National Children's Bureau
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London EC1V 7QE
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Short Breaks Bill falls - Now Government Must Deliver
23 February 2007
Despite 5 hours of debate today and with MPs from all parties speaking in support, the Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill failed to get its Second Reading. The government and the Conservative front bench stated that they could not support the Bill, primarily on the grounds of cost, and although many MPs spoke powerfully in favour of the Bill, there were less than the 100 MPs present who would have been needed to force a vote. As a result, the Bill now goes to the back of the private member’s bill queue and although it will be read again on 29th June, it is highly unlikely it will make progress.
Dame Jo Williams DBE, Mencap Chief Executive, comments:
‘We congratulate Gary Streeter MP and all the other MPs who supported this Bill, and we are extremely disappointed that the Bill didn’t go through. We believe strongly that families should have a right to short breaks. The simple fact is that the vast majority of families with severely disabled children who need breaks don’t get them. That is why we need an entitlement to breaks.’
DfES Minister Parmjit Dhanda, responding to the Bill for Government, did make a series of important commitments. Firstly, the Minister told the House that:
1) there will be a national target on disabled children, echoing the commitments made by Economic Secretary Ed Balls in his lecture earlier this week.
2) the government will bring forward new policy proposals on short breaks as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review
3) the DfES will issue commissioning guidance to spread best practice in short breaks across the country.
4) the emergency respite fund announced as part of the New Deal for Carers this week will be available for families with disabled children.
The Minister described the Bill as an ‘important staging post’ towards the Comprehensive Spending Review. He stated that ‘in a great many areas, short breaks are simply not meeting the needs of disabled children and their families’, and confirmed that the government recognises the differences that short breaks make. The Minister stated ‘much more can be and must be done’. He concluded ‘this Bill has greatly raised the profile of short break services. We are fully committed to addressing the problems that exist in the current system.’
Francine Bates OBE, Chief Executive of Contact a Family, comments:
‘100,000 families with severely disabled children will not now be benefiting from the provisions in our Bill. So we will be pressing government to deliver on the commitments made by the Minister today, not least to bring forward their own proposals on short breaks as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. These proposals must include substantial new funding, tied to the target which we are pleased that the Minister has confirmed today.’
Gary Streeter MP (Cons, Devon SW), who sponsored the Bill, said:
‘The provision of short breaks is still a lottery, where only a handful of families get the support they need. Extra cash and new guidance will be welcome, but I strongly believe that these families need and deserve a right to breaks. What we must see now is a clear plan of government action - nothing less will do. If we don’t see real improvements in services offered to families, I’m certain that I or one of my colleagues will be introducing another Bill this time next year.’
More from EDCM
News story: Families tell MPs - end the short breaks lottery!
Find out about the Bill
