Latest figures show that nearly half of England's local authorities have appointed a director of children's services, which, under the Children Act 2004, becomes a statutory requirement by 2008.
But according to the education and skills select committee, which is conducting an inquiry into Every Child Matters, there's a strong bias towards education; 63 out of the 70 appointments so far have been former directors of education.
The committee's chair, Barry Sheerman MP, fears this signals services outside education will be minor partners. "You are not going to do very well if all the other partners are sulking in their tents because none of the top jobs have gone to their role," he said when questioning Department for Education and Skills officials at a recent meeting.
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