David Cameron (DC): I want to ask about the tragic death of Baby P. This happened in the same children’s services department that was responsible for Victoria Climbie and yet again nobody is taking responsibility, nobody has resigned. Do you agree with me that the Haringey inquiry is completely unacceptable? It is being led by Mrs Shoesmith, who is the council’s own director of children’s services. Do you agree with me she cannot possibly investigate the failure of her own department?

Gordon Brown (GB): I believe I speak for the whole country when I say that people are not only shocked and saddened, but horrified and angered by what they have seen reported about what happened to an innocent 17-month-old boy. Every child is precious and every child is unique. Every child should have the benefit of support and protection both from their parents and the authorities that be.

This tragedy that has arisen because of a violence and torture of a young child, where three have already been found guilty, raises serious questions we have to address. The first set of questions is being addressed by Lord Laming, who is now looking at social service protection for children in every part of the country. He did the Victoria Climbie inquiry.

His recommendations were accepted by all parties in this House as being necessary and he will now look at what needs to be done. The second issue is in Haringey itself. There is a serious case review. The executive report already says there have been failings and weaknesses in the system.

The full report has now arrived with the Children’s Secretary (Ed Balls) this morning. It is now for the Government to take action and we will make a decision about what procedures and processes we will adopt in relation to Haringey. I believe that is the right thing to do - both local review and national action.

DC: May I ask again about the local review. Sharon Shoesmith, who is carrying this out, said ... (Labour protests) MPs should worry about this. This is a local authority that has completely failed. What she said is that her service had ’worked effectively’. The Children’s Minister said recently that many areas set up their safeguarding board with the local director of children’s services as the chair, that is something frankly that does concern me. So, isn’t it unacceptable that the person who runs the children’s services department is responsible for looking into what her own department did?

GB: When an incident like this happens, which is so tragic, a report has to be done. That report is submitted to the Children’s Secretary. The report has arrived on his desk this morning. We’ve already got the executive summary, which was published yesterday, which identified weaknesses in the system. The decision will then be made about what to do in relation to Haringey and what procedures have to be followed. I do believe there was all-party support for the Laming report when it was done and this is the right way forward.

DC: I asked a straightforward question and there’s absolutely no answer... (Labour protests)

Michael Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons (MM): Please let Mr Cameron be heard. It will not do ... shouting across the chamber after this terrible news has come to us. It’s best to let him speak.

DC: I’ll tell you what is shameful and that is trying to shout down someone who’s asking reasonable questions about something that’s gone wrong. Let’s be honest. This is a story about a 17-year-old girl who had no idea how to bring up a child. It’s about a boyfriend who couldn’t read but could beat a child and it’s about a social services department that gets £100 million a year and can’t look after children. In the case of failing schools we take them over. This department in Haringey, one in four positions for social workers is completely vacant. They do nothing to help struggling local schools that are failing and another child has been beaten to death. Will you - I don’t expect an answer now, you never get one - at least consider whether the time has come to take over this failing department and put someone in charge who can run it properly for our children?

GB: I think we are both agreed this is a tragic and serious loss of life that has got to be investigated properly so that all the lessons can be learned. I think you would agree that appointing Lord Laming to go round the country, to look at what is happening in each area ... is the right thing to do. I think you have got to accept that the executive summary already published ... shows that there are weaknesses that exist. So there is an admission of weaknesses that have got to be addressed.

We have received the full report this morning. We will act on it quickly. We will do it in the right way so that we come to the judgments that are necessary to protect children in the future. I do regret making a party political issue of this issue. I do regret that because I think... (drowned out by Conservative protests. MM says GB was in order and asks him to continue) ... because I think the whole country shares the outrage, the whole country wants to see action and the whole country will support the action that is being taken nationally and in relation to Haringey.

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