Bill for better protection of runaway children - Burstow

Sutton and Cheam, MP Paul Burstow today joined MPs debating a 10 Minute Rule Bill calling for a national system to safeguard the UK's 100,000 children, aged under 16, who run away from home or care each year.

Paul Burstow is co-sponsor of the Bill, which is supported by The Children's Society as part of their campaign calling for a national network of children's refuges offering safe temporary accommodation for children fleeing family and other problems.

The debate follows an exchange between Paul Burstow MP and Tony Blair at Prime Minister's Question Time on this issue earlier this month.

The debate highlighted:

"The current lack of national co-ordination to safeguard runaway and missing children,

"The fact that Government funding for the two runaways refuges in England will come to an end in March 2006

"The need for central co-ordination of information and statistics on children who runaway or go missing from home or care.

There are currently only three children's refuges in the UK offering a total of just 10 beds - one for every 10,000 runaway children. The charity's research has revealed that one in six runaway children are forced to sleep rough or with strangers they meet on the streets, and one in 12 runaway children say they are hurt or harmed while away from home.

The Children's Society's Safe & Sound campaign has already gained cross-party support from 246 MPs who have signed up to EDM 393, tabled by Paul Burstow MP, calling for the swift establishment of a national network of safe places for children and young people.

Paul Burstow MP commented:

"Children who run away from home are children in a bad situation who can be at a very real risk of danger. Across the country, people in public service and charities are doing excellent work but we need to raise our game to protect every vulnerable child.

"I am urging the Government act without delay to establish a network of safe places for children who run away, who may distrust authority due to damaging past experiences, and to secure the future of those few beds currently available for the many thousands of children now at risk on the streets."

ENDS. (Notes to editors follow)

Notes to editors.

1. The 10 Minute Rule Bill was presented to the House of Commons, today, Wednesday 15th November 2005.

2. Paul Burstow challenged the Prime Minister on this issue at Prime Ministers Question Time on 2nd November. The exchange is copied below:

Q7. [23745] Mr. Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam) (LD): According to the Children's Society, every year 100,000 children run away from home. Many turn to rough sleeping, crime, drug taking, alcohol abuse and prostitution. Many are hurt and harmed as a consequence. At the moment, there are just seven refuge beds across the country to meet that massive need. Those beds will not be funded after March next year; Government funding is to stop before that is evaluated. Will the Prime Minister look to stop the cut in funding in March so that the beds can be properly evaluated and we can have a proper network of safe accommodation for children who run away?

The Prime Minister: We have of course invested a large sum of money in that. The rough sleepers initiative has cut the numbers sleeping rough very considerably. We will continue to invest; we have obviously got to make sure that it is in the right way that yields the result. The hon. Gentleman is right in drawing attention to the problem, but we will solve it only by continuing the policies that we have set out. I am not aware of the particular issue that he has raised but I will get back to him on the detail. But more money has been invested in social housing and in providing for people, particularly young people who might run away from home, than by any Government for years, and we will continue doing that.

3. A Parliamentary motion tabled by the Sutton and Cheam MP that called for the swift establishment of a national network of safe places for young people, which secured strong cross-party support.

EDM 393

Paul Burstow: PROTECTING RUNAWAY CHILDREN

Signatures (73)

That this House warmly welcomes the Children's Society's Safe and Sound campaign to make England safe for the 100,000 children who run away from home or care each year; is alarmed at the Society's findings that almost half of all children who have run away for over a week are physically or sexually hurt; calls on all local authorities to put into place the safeguards recommended by the Department of Health to protect young runaways; and further calls on the Government to undertake an early evaluation of the six pilot schemes for flexible community-based accommodation for young runaways across England which have now completed their first year, in order that the lessons can be incorporated in the swift establishment of a national network of safe places for children and young people.