Following the revelations about social services and court’s role in Finley Boden’s murder trial I asked Suella Braverman why the Government is not adopting the review recommendation about a new English child protection authority. See also the Home Secretary’s response.

Toby Perkins: Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. The recent appalling court case into the murder of Finley Boden, which led to the conviction of murder of his parents exposed very serious questions about the social work practice at Derbyshire Social Services and indeed the actions taken by the court and for that reason this recommendation of the creation of a new child protection authority was very much welcomed. Can the Home Secretary tell us what specifically the proposed functions of a child protection agency, that she now believes, will be better delivered by the Department for Education’s implementation strategy are and why she believes that approach is better than the creation of the child protection authority that was recommended in this report?

Home Secretary: May I put on record my sympathies to the family of the hon. gentlemen’s constituents. When it comes to the child protection authority we absolutely agree that we need a sharper focus on improving practice in child protection and ensuring that we are all playing our part to keep children safe and since the inquiry report the Department for Education, in responding to the care review has set out a bold vision for reform of social care and child protections, stable homes built on love and the Government is confident that those reforms will deliver the intention behind the inquiry’s recommendation for a new child protection authority.