Terms of Reference

The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of his powers under S.81 of the Children Act 1989 and under S.84 of the NHS Act 1977 and the Secretary of State for the Home Department in exercise of his powers under S.49 of the Police Act 1996 have appointed the Lord Laming to conduct an inquiry under each of these statutory provisions into the circumstances leading to and surrounding the death of Victoria Climbié.

These inquiries shall together be known as the Victoria Climbié Inquiry and shall have the following terms of reference:

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

2. To identify the services sought or required by or in respect of Victoria Climbié, Marie-Therese Kouao and Carl Manning from Local Authorities in respect of their Social Services functions, the Health bodies and the Police between the arrival of Victoria Climbié and Marie-Therese Kouao in England in March 1999 and Victoria Climbié's death in February 2000.

3. To examine the way in which Local Authorities in respect of their Social Services functions, the Health bodies and the Police:

i. responded to those requests, or need for services

ii. discharged their functions

iii. co-operated with each other

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

in respect of the three persons named above during the period referred to above and thereafter.

4. 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.

5. 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.