(2) when he expects the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit to have developed guidance on referral and assessment systems for children affected by domestic violence, adult mental health problems and drugs and alcohol misuse;
(3) how many regional representatives the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit will have;
(4) who will appoint staff to the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit;
(5) when he expects the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit to make its first annual report to Parliament;
(6) what powers the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit will have to examine local authority documentation;
(7) by what date he expects the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit to be fully operational;
(8) how many people will be employed in the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit when it is at full operational strength; what the unit’s budget will be for 2009-10; and from what sources its budget will be drawn;
(9) what powers the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit will have beyond those already held by his Department.
The Government have accepted all the recommendations made by Lord Laming in his recent report, “The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report”. These include the establishment of a National Safeguarding Delivery Unit .The Government’s immediate response to Lord Laming, published on 12 March, explained that the new Unit would provide support and challenge to local authorities, promote dynamic learning and good practice development, including through sector-led approaches, and act as a bridge between national policy development and local implementation. The Government have undertaken to publish a detailed action plan in response to Lord Laming’s recommendations by the end of April.
This will set out the action to be taken to establish the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit and timescales for the delivery of action in response to all Lord Laming’s recommendations.