Nursery World - New childcare Bill supported by Blair

Tony Blair has signalled his support for a Bill proposing the setting up of a national register of nannies and prohibiting childminders in England from being allowed to smack the children in their care. Mr Blair made his comments during prime minister's questions last Wednesday, in response to a question by Geraint Davies, Labour MP for Croydon Central, who had presented the Regulation of Child Care Providers Bill to the House of Commons two days earlier.

Mr Blair made his comments during prime minister's questions last Wednesday, in response to a question by Geraint Davies, Labour MP for Croydon Central, who had presented the Regulation of Child Care Providers Bill to the House of Commons two days earlier.

Mr Davies is the local MP for Ken and Libby Osborne, whose eight-month-old son was killed by his childminder, Linda Bayfield, in July 2000. His Bill seeks to change four elements of the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2001 - to set up a national register of nannies and make it an offence for a nanny to work with children in England and Wales unless registered; to prevent childminders from being permitted to use corporal punishment on the children in their care; to give parents the right to access the register of complaints on childminders held by Ofsted; and to bring children aged eight to 15 under the protection of the Children Act.

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