Part of Adoption and Children Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 6:45 pm ar 11 Rhagfyr 2001.
I do not envisage that the Children's Commissioner will have the title role envisaged under this part of the Bill by the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham, but clearly the representative role may be significant in raising issues around services that a child might have received. That would not however solve the problem described by the hon. Gentleman of a person acting as an alternative route into an assessment for someone who is unable to access it for themselves.
The hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham raised an important point, and I undertake to write to him about the specific examples that he cited. The Government intend that people should have the right to access assessments, and we need to consider the implications for those who might be unable to make that approach directly. I hope that the hon. Gentleman is reassured by what I have said, or will be so later in Committee, and that he will withdraw his amendment.