Karen Matthews

Tim Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions he has had with the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board on the timetable for the publication of the executive summary of the serious case review of the Karen Matthews case.

Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 29 March 2010]: As part of their challenge and support function, officials from the Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber keep in close contact with progress being made by Local Safeguarding Children Boards in their region which are conducting serious case reviews. I understand that the Government office has had a number of discussions with Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board about the timetable for this particular, very complex serious case review. Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board hopes to complete it shortly and to publish the executive summary as soon as they are able to do so, after evaluation by Ofsted.