April 2001 Archived News

Friday 20 April 2001
VICTORIA CLIMBIÉ INQUIRY - TERMS OF REFERENCE PUBLISHED

HEALTH Minister John Hutton today announced the terms of reference for the Victoria Climbié Inquiry.

The complex, tripartite Inquiry - the first of its kind to be established - will have a statutory base encompassing the Children Act, NHS Act and the Police Act. It will be fully independent and heard in public in London. The report will be available in Spring next year.

Mr Hutton said: "The death of Victoria Climbié was a tragedy. It is vitally important that child protection procedures provide the maximum possible safeguards for vulnerable children. This didn't happen in Victoria's case.

"We need, therefore, to know why this failure occurred so that any necessary measures can be taken to provide better protection in future. I look forward to receiving Lord Laming's recommendations as soon as the Inquiry has been completed."

The terms of reference of the Inquiry are summarised below:

• To establish the circumstances leading to and surrounding the death of Victoria Climbié.
  
  

• To identify which services were requested, or required, for Victoria by Marie-Therese Kouao and Carl Manning from Local Authorities, Health Bodies and the Police between the time Victoria arrived in England (March 1999) and her death (February 2000).
  
  

• To examine the way in which Local Authorities in respect of their Social Services functions, the Health bodies and the Police:
  - responded to those requests, or need for services

- discharged their functions

- co-operated with each other

- co-operated with other services including the local education authorities and the local housing
authorities;

• To reach conclusions as to the circumstances leading to Victoria Climbié's death and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Health and to the Secretary of State for the Home Department as to how such an event may, as far as possible, be avoided in the future.
  
  

• To deliver a report of the Inquiry to the Secretary of State for Health and to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will then arrange for its publication.

Lord Laming has been appointed to chair the Inquiry and will be assisted by a team of expert advisers. They include specialist staff in paediatric medicine, nursing, social care and the police.

Lord Laming, said: "This independent Inquiry is unique and highly complex. It has been established by two major Departments of State and involves three separate statutes and a wide range of agencies. The arrangements for the Inquiry have had to be thought through in great detail and a team of expert advisers has been especially selected for their important roles.

"The difficult issue of whether or not to hold the inquiry in public or private also needed to be considered very carefully. I believe a public Inquiry will be both more effective and fair, and will ensure that matters are dealt with in an open and honest manner. This will serve the interests of vulnerable children best and will ensure the general public can have confidence that tragedies of this kind can be avoided."

Notes to editors:

1. Victoria Climbié was also known as Anna Kouao/Kouavo.

2. The Victoria Climbié Inquiry has been established jointly by the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, under powers in s.81 of the Children Act 1989 and s.84 of the NHS Act 1977 and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Jack Straw under s.49 of the Police Act 1996.

3. The Inquiry will be based at Hannibal House, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6TE. It will report jointly to Health Secretary Alan Milburn and Home Secretary Jack Straw and is expected to publish in Spring next year.

4. The date of the first preliminary meeting of the Inquiry will be announced shortly. Further details regarding the team of expert advisers will be announced then.

5. Work has already been undertaken to determine its statutory basis, Terms of Reference, location and facilities and to recruit the Inquiry Secretariat, Legal Team and Expert Advisers.

6. The London Boroughs of Ealing, Brent, Haringey and Enfield were involved in the case. Brent and Harrow Health Authority and Enfield and Haringey Health Authority as well as the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust (covering Central Middlesex Hospital) and North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust were involved, as were the Metropolitan Police Force.

7. Media enquiries to 020 7210 5375.

Contacts:

Paul Rees, Communications Manager
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org

                or

Lara Williams, Press Officer
Tel: 020 7972 2018
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 468
lara.williams@victoriaclimbie.org