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Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Education Secretary refuses to rule out Children Act changes

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi “will not rule out legislative changes” to the Children Act 1989 in response to the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, he has told MPs.
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was killed in June last year. Picture: West Midlands Police
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was killed in June last year. Picture: West Midlands Police

Answering questions from ministers on the death of the six-year-old in Solihull in June 2020, Zahawi said: “We need to carefully consider all possible routes to help ensure that children’s social care has the powers that it needs to protect vulnerable children like Arthur.”

The government has launched a national safeguarding review into the killing, for which Arthur’s stepmother has been jailed for murder and his father jailed for manslaughter, and commissioned a joint area inspection of the agencies who had contact with him before his death.

The Education Secretary was asked by David Simmonds, Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, if he agrees “that the Children Act 1989, which provides the main legislative and operational underpinning of children’s social care, is perhaps in need of updating?”

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