Motion: Action for Children

Action for Children

Lodged by Jack McConnell Standard Motion 54 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament welcomes Action for Children’s campaign to raise awareness about the significant impact of neglect in the lives of vulnerable and difficult-to-reach children across the United Kingdom; considers that neglect leaves children without basic needs, from love and support to food and clothing; notes that serious neglect kills children in the UK and that neglect can have long-term effects on the wellbeing of children and their families and on society as a whole; also notes the key findings of the recent joint Action for Children/New Economics Foundation report, Backing the Future, that governments across the UK could do more to invest efficiently in the future of society through children and families and to address preventable social problems such as the breakdown of family relationships, drug misuse and crime, which can all lead to neglect; recognises studies suggesting that up to 10% of all children in the UK could currently be suffering from neglect and supports more of the targeted interventions that are known to work to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and can help tackle the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage, and calls on governments across the UK to give greater priority to tackling neglect through early intervention and to target expenditure on public services that prevent neglect and give children every opportunity to realise their potential.

Supporters (54)