Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the Welsh Government's rationale behind asking the UK Government to apply parts of their Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to Wales?
Taking provision in this UK Bill enables delivery of a positive provision for Wales. Whilst provision could be brought forward in a Senedd Bill, doing so would impact upon delivery of other legislative priorities and could not be delivered within the same timescales as through the UK Bill. Being a part of this Bill ensures that the children of Wales are subject to the same protections as the children of England.
Despite the introduction of statutory Elective Home Education (EHE) guidance in Wales in 2023, local authorities continue to call for additional measures to help them to identify, support and meet their duties in relation to home-educated children.
The extension of the children not in education measures to Wales enhance the Welsh Government’s existing work in this area and will ensure that children in Wales receive additional protections at the same time as children in England.
Extending the social care provisions to Wales will ensure that children in Wales can have the same access to “relevant accommodation” in England as children from an English local authority; as well as closing a loophole by extending criminal offences of ill-treatment of wilful neglect by care providers in social care settings to cover 16 and 17 year-olds so this applies to all ages.