Member

I turn to Amendments 51 and 252 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Bellingham. I want to reassure the noble Lord and other noble Lords on the duty to work with local integrated care boards raised in Amendment 51. The Government understand the importance and need to include health partners in regional co-operation arrangements to improve looked-after children’s outcomes. There is already an existing legal requirement under Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 which specifies that local authorities must make arrangements to promote co-operation with relevant partners, including local integrated care boards, to improve the well-being of children within their area, so far as is reasonably practicable. The requirement will still apply to local authorities when it is part of regional co-operation arrangements. It is therefore not necessary to specify that separately in the legislation. I hope it will reassure the noble Lord that both regional care co-operative pathfinders, in the south-east and in Greater Manchester, have already engaged in a meaningful way with the ICBs in their area, and we will continue to promote this through published guidance.