Member News
By Baroness Massey of Darwen - 22nd March 2012
Baroness Massey raises concern over the lack of consideration of children's rights being applied to legislation.
A child's rights impact assessment is the examination of a proposed law or policy to determine its potential impact on children and their rights.
In December 2010, the minister for families, Sarah Teather said "..I can make a clear commitment that the government will give due consideration to the Convention’s articles when making new policy and legislation."
Progress has been made on child rights in England, and the coalition government has committed to creating a rights based children's commissioner. Greater progress has been made in Wales and Scotland where legislative leads have been made on children’s rights.
In England, progress is very ad hoc and there has been little action to child proof bills, except in education. There is little written evidence of consideration on children’s rights being applied to other bills such as the health and social care bill and the welfare reform bill . This is a cause for concern.
Baroness Massey of Darwen is a former teacher and was raised to the peerage in 1999.