To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what guidance his Department has issued to (a) Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and (b) the Mayor of Doncaster on their responsibilities for child protection issues; (249161)

[holding answer 19 January 2009]: It is the local authority as a whole that is legally responsible for the discharge of its statutory functions, regardless of the arrangements by which the authority decides to discharge those functions and, in particular, whether the authority is led by a directly elected Mayor. While the elected Mayor is politically accountable—alongside the Lead Member for Children's Services—for the way in which the authority discharges its statutory functions for child protection, he or she is not legally responsible for the discharge of those functions.

Doncaster metropolitan borough council has been issued with the same guidance as all organisations and individuals with responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This is contained principally within ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2006):

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/AE53C8F9D7AEB1B23E403514A6C1B17D.pdf

In addition, local authorities that are children's services authorities, including Doncaster, have a duty under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Specific guidance for these organisations about their duty under section 11 is contained in ‘Making Arrangements to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children’ (2005):

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/resources-and-practice/IG00042/