Balls expands access to Baby P report

An image of Baby P's injuries

Saturday, 22, Nov 2008 12:02

Opposition spokespeople and local MPs will have access to the report into the failures which led to the death of Baby P, it has been announced.

The move marks a U-turn by the government, who previously had refused to allow access to the report, with children's minister Ed Balls citing legal reasons.

Conservative and Lib Dem's children's spokesmen - Michael Gove and David Laws - Children, Schools and Families Select Committee chairman Barry Sheerman and local MPs Lynne Featherstone and David Lammy will be allowed to see the review.

Liberal Democrat spokesman David Laws welcomed the decision.

"This will undoubtedly help in terms of the process of scrutinising what has gone wrong," he said.

"In the future, we must ensure that the substance of the serious case reviews is made publicly available."

Baby P's mother, whose identity has not been revealed for her protection, has been had posters of her circulated around London and her name posted on the internet by angry members of the public.