Harriet Harman: Councils should adopt new Family Cabinet Member

April 19, 2007

Government Minister Harriet Harman MP has called for councils to adopt a new Executive Member for the Family in a speech to the New Local Government Network.

Harman, who currently serves as Family Justice Minister and plans to stand for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party, argued that the role is required to be a liaison point for any family problems and to work in conjunction with a new Secretary of State for the Family in central Government.

Speaking at the event she said:

“Local government services have long had a focus on protecting the vulnerable and have also looked to building the strength of local communities through tenants and residents and community organisations. But what more can local government do to support the families that underpin those communities? Perhaps there should be a councillor in each local authority designated as having responsibility for looking across the councils services to ensure they support families and being the liaison point for families. We should have a Secretary of State to do that in government who could work with those designated councillors in local authorities”.


She also called for schools to be open all the time, including school holidays for local communities to give children enhanced youth facilities:

“Wherever you go, whoever you talk to, old or young, there is the complaint that “there’s nothing for young people to do” and a persistent demand from parents and communities throughout the country is for better youth services. We – national and local government – have done a great deal on developing services for young children. We need to take the Sure Start approach – high quality community based services accessible to all but focussing first on areas of deprivation – and take it up the age range. And we need to ensure that the millions invested in the state of sport, computers and arts facilities in rebuilt and new schools are not closed after school, at weekends or school holidays but are available to young people in the local community whether or not they go to the school and not at a price which shuts them out”.

Harriet Harman was speaking at a New Local Government Network event: Wise Council? The changing role of local authorities in family and social policy on Thursday 19th April. Other speakers included Steve Reed, Leader, Lambeth Council.


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