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In this Section: News | Government services review | Parents caught in childcare trap | Ed Balls MP: "It's not just Every Child Matters, it's Every Disabled Child Matters" | All parties agree Every Disabled Child Matters | Local authorities challenged to make disabled children matter | EDCM supports End Child Poverty month | MPs demand improvements to disabled children's services | First local authorities sign EDCM Charter | Bill launched to give families a right to a break | EDCM supports Anti-Bullying Week | Mass support from MPs for short breaks Bill | Disabled children win out in Private Members' Bill Ballot | Disabled children miss out on key benefits | EDCM reaches target for 10,000 supporters! | Government review confirms need for action | Minister - Short Breaks 'Key and urgent priority' | Daily Mirror backs campaign | EDCM urges action to End Child Poverty | Balls: Disabled children provide 'acid test' for government | New Deal for Carers - but families with disabled children need planned short breaks | Campaign urges government to change its mind on the Bill | Families tell MPs - end the short breaks lottery! | Short Breaks Bill falls - Now Government Must Deliver | Sign the petition to End Child Poverty |
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Minister - Short Breaks 'Key and urgent priority'
17 January 2007
Lord Adonis tells MPs that every disabled child matters
At a packed meeting in Parliament yesterday (16 January), Lord Adonis, the Minister with responsiblity for disabled children in England, told MPs that disabled children had a key place in the government's Every Child Matters agenda. Responding to a speech by Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, he highlighted the recent report from the Treasury / DfES review of disabled children's services and confirmed his commitment to improving outcomes for disabled children through that review.
Pressed on whether Government would support the Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill, he replied that short breaks were a 'key and urgent priority in order to support families', and that he would be meeting Gary Streeter MP shortly to discuss the government's position.
Lord Adonis stayed for the full hour to hear parents and disabled people express their concerns that government policy is not being matched with delivery on the ground. He committed to do more to improve outcomes for disabled children, particularly to end school exclusion which he described as 'absolutely not acceptable'.
The meeting was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children, working jointly with seven other groups (Autism, Carers, Childcare, Children, Disability, Learning Disability, Mental Health and Youth Affairs). Over 20 MPs and Peers representing the different groups attended the meeting. Baroness Massey of Darwen, Chair of the APPG on Children, committed to another meeting one year on to examine what progress had been made to make sure that Every Child Matters delivers for disabled children.
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Lobby your MP to support the Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill