Livingstone attacks Hodge's record
Press Association
Tuesday July 8, 2003
The Guardian
Margaret Hodge, the new minister for children, was "woefully misguided" not to immediately investigate a paedophile scandal in the early 1990s, the London Mayor said today.
Ken Livingstone's comments come amid increasing pressure for Mrs Hodge to be sacked over allegations that she ignored warnings about organised child sex abuse while she was leader of Islington council in north London.
"I think that Margaret Hodge was fundamentally wrong not to take the warning that was given and investigate it immediately," he said at his weekly press briefing at City Hall.
"The question of whether the prime minister thinks that is in the past or that she has learned from it is a matter for the prime minister.
"But I think she was woefully misguided not to immediately investigate when it was brought to her attention."
Last night the Conservatives renewed their attack on Mrs Hodge over a speech that she is due to make about the government's child protection reforms at a Local Government Association (LGA) conference later today.
In a late night point of order in the Commons, the shadow minister for children, Eleanor Laing, said that the speaker Michael Martin had frequently deprecated the making of policy announcements outside parliament.
"I understand from this published agenda that the minister for children is due to make a speech tomorrow to the LGA on the specific subject of the green paper on children at risk," she added.
Publication of the green paper has been put back to the autumn following the furore over Ms Hodge's appointment as children's minister.
Mrs Laing said the green paper proposals should be brought before the Commons to be discussed by MPs before being taken to an "outside body".
The deputy speaker, Sir Alan Haselhurst, added that Mr Martin would expect policy announcements to be made by ministers in the Commons.
He said: "Whether a green paper is to be seen in quite the same way is a matter of judgment, but generally speaking, Mr Speaker has made clear that he does expect, as far as possible, announcements to be made in this house rather than elsewhere."
A spokeswoman for the LGA said the conference would discuss reforms of child protection and other children's services in the wake of the inquiry into the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbié.
She added that Mrs Hodge was expected to talk about children's trusts, which will bring together local education, health and social services into a single body, although the minister's spokesman at the Department for Education and Skills would not confirm this.
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