Supplementary memorandum by the Department
of Health
HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY—
WELFARE OF FORMER CHILD MIGRANTS (CM 129A)
DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH RESPONSE 1.
On 12 June 1998 the Committee wrote to the Department of Health,
for further information about certain issues arising out of the
evidence session on 20 May and 11 June. The following are our
comments to the queries raised.
Query 2. The
Committee would like to know exactly what discussions have taken
place between the DoH and sending agencies, collectively or individually,
concerning requests for financial assistance to help with their
work with former child migrants. Canon Fisher of the Catholic
Child Welfare Council referred to a meeting in 1992.
Reply 3. Meeting with
sending agencies— the meeting in 1992 that Canon Fisher
referred to, is we believe a reference to a meeting in 1993. That
meeting was held on 23 July 1993 between DoH and the sending agencies
as requested by the Minister Tim Yeo, as a result of an earlier
meeting he had had with the Child Migrant Trust and Paddy Tilling
MP on 18 May 1993. A copy of the minutes of this meeting is enclosed. 4.
From the papers available within the Department, we confirm that
from 1989 there was correspondence and meetings between the Department,
some of the sending agencies and the Child Migrant Trust (CMT)
in an effort to try and get agreement from everyone to develop
a more co-ordinated way in which services could be provided to
help former child migrants. 5. Request for financial assistance— As
far as DoH is aware, the only specific formal (Section 64) requests
for help, primarily directed to support former child migrants,
have come from the CMT. However, it is possible that the Department
may have received formal applications for funding from a few other
organisations for similar "post-adoption", type work,
but none as far as we can identify, for working solely with former
child migrants. For example the Department has funded the Catholic
Child Welfare Council (CCWC) which provides a wide range of child
care services, including provision of an effective adoption and
family finding service, and develops a national link for all Catholic
voluntary agencies assisting former child migrants who were looked
after by Catholic agencies.
6. Nor, have we received a collective formal application from
the sending agencies, though the subject was raised as a general
possibility at a meeting in 1988—see paragraph 11 below.
DH Grants to the Catholic Child Welfare Council
| Year
| Core |
| 1994-95 | £ 3,000 |
| 1995-96 | £ 6,000 |
| 1996-97 | £ 6,000 |
| 1997-98 | £ 6,000 |
An application for further Section 64 core funding this year was
unsuccessful.
Query 7. What sort of help was offered by the DoH, when
it was offered and what the reaction was from the sending agencies.
Reply 8. Besides ongoing contact and correspondence between
DoH and some of the sending agencies— mainly Barnardos, NCH
Action for Children, the Children's Society, the Catholic Child
Welfare Council and the Salvation Army, the significant events
have been as follows: 9. Department of Health participation
at a meeting on 15 June 1989 with sending agencies— A
meeting took place on 16 June 1989, chaired by Barnardos. The
Department's Social Services representative was involved in this
meeting. Those attending represented the following organisations:Barnardos,
Fairbridge Drake Society, Children's Society, Church of England
Board of Social Responsibility, Salvation Army, Catholic Child
Welfare Council, National Children's Home, and the Child Migrants
Trust (CMT). 10. Most of the agencies had at the time, been dealing
with "their own" former migrants, and providing information
from their records. The meeting was to discuss whether there was
a need for a new agency and if so was CMT the best agency to do
the job of helping former child migrants.
Finance 11. Some discussion was devoted to the extent to
which the organisations represented would be prepared to contribute
to the funding of CMT. Some of the organisations indicated that
any such commitment would be subject to conditions, such as:
(i) the funding agency would require a presence as a
CMT Trustee,
(ii) they would require collaboration with CMT,
(iii) they would require evidence of financial viability
of CMT.It was noted also that the Department of Health's 1989-90
Section 64 Budget was fully committed at that time. The position
for 1990-91 and beyond would be considered. 12. It was agreed at
the meeting that a sending agencies representative from Barnardos
would serve as a clearing house for communications and information
on relationships and funding of CMT.
Points made by CMT 13. Funding was needed for CMT's proposed
UK operations. CMT estimated that they needed £130,000 for
each of the next three years. They saw their work to be a response
to finite demands which would be completed in three years. CMT
remained convinced of their need to remain independent of the
agencies which arranged for migration. All they really wanted
from these agencies, was a swift transmission of all available
case records for individuals when requested by them, and for their
financial support. 14. CMT were not keen to set up any great bureaucracy
of management committees and trustees. The representative from
Nottinghamshire County Council, stated that, given the choice,
he would be best pleased if CMT were funded mainly from central
government funds, rather than by the voluntary organisations.
CONCLUSION 15. The papers indicate
that over the previous 9 years several attempts were made by Ministers
and officials to develop a more co-ordinated response to the way
in which services were provided to help former child migrants,
and one which everyone could sign up to—ie., the sending
agencies as well as the CMT.16. Officials have also worked closely
with Barnardos in an effort to get a consensus of opinion with
CMT and the sending agencies. The Department did not achieve this,
but this was not through lack of trying.17. At the time, CMT were
unwilling to collaborate fully with the sending agencies as the
CMT wished to remain completely independent.18. The Department
will participate at a further meeting with the sending agencies
which has been arranged for the 11 August 1998.
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