The Children's Commissioner for Wales published his second annual report. He condemned mental health services for young people as 'wholly unacceptable', and warned that a proposal in the Anti-social Behaviour Bill could lead to curfews being imposed on young people that would be in clear breach of their human rights.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts: 2002-2003, Children's Commissioner for Wales (01792 765600)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Oct
A report examined how much was spent on services impacting on the 700,000 children living in Wales. Spending on health, education and housing was higher in Wales than in England: but social services expenditure per child was lower. Between 1996-97 and 2000-01 spending per head on these services rose by about 8 per cent in Wales, less than in England.
Source: Tom Sefton, A Child's Portion: Public spending on children in Wales, Save the Children in Wales (029 2034 5224)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
Responding to a report by the Children's Commissioner (published in February 2003), the Welsh Assembly Government promised a stronger voice for children in the planning and delivery of the services they received, both as individuals and collectively.
Source: Press release 24.7.03, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: WAG press release | Children's Commissioner report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
The Welsh Assembly Government responded to the first report of the Children's Commissioner for Wales. It said it shared the view of the Commissioner that levels of child poverty in Wales are unacceptable.
Source: Response of the Welsh Assembly Government to the Annual Report of the Children s Commissioner for Wales 2001-02, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Response (pdf) | Commissioner's report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Mar
The first report of the new Children s Commissioner for Wales dealt with arrangements for children s advocacy and procedures for dealing with complaints and whistleblowing in each of the 22 local authorities. It found that local authorities do not appreciate the importance of whistleblowing policies to safeguard children in any of the services they are responsible for whether delivered in-house or commissioned.
Source: Telling Concerns, Children s Commissioner for Wales (01792 765600)
Links: Report (pdf) | News report | Community Care article
Date: 2003-Feb
The Welsh Assembly Government said that it will develop a strategy to combat child poverty in Wales, and will set up a child poverty task group (with outside representatives) to take its work forward. The group will review existing information about the root causes of child poverty in Wales, produce a 'workable definition' of child poverty, and conduct an audit of Welsh Assembly Government policies and programmes which impact on child poverty.
Source: Press release 31.1.03, National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Jan
