Children and Young Persons Bill [HL]

I hope that I can provide crystal clear illumination on the question of dates. Clause 6(2) allows for Clause 1 to be brought into force by reference to a particular local authority or local authorities. This will enable the selection of local authorities to pilot the social work practice model. However, unless Clause 4 is brought into force within five years of Royal Assent—the five years begin with Royal Assent—Clauses 1 to 5 will cease to have effect. That means that we must establish the pilots, allow them to run and evaluate them in time to decide before the end of that five-year period whether to roll out the power to make arrangements under Clause 1 more widely. I hope that clarifies the position about the five years. Why have we gone for five years? For exactly the reason that the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth, set out. We believe that it is an appropriate period when you take into account all the preparatory and evaluation stages that will need to be gone through. It may help the Committee if I set out the rough timetable for activity that we foresee. Subject to the successful passage of the Bill, we will run a competition for local authorities to take part in the pilots, with a view to identifying three to six successful candidates in autumn this year. At the same time, we will also be putting the finishing touches to the model contract and funding systems to support effective operation of the pilots. Pilot local authorities would then begin commissioning social work practices in autumn this year. Leaving time for a full and proper commissioning process, we anticipate that the successful social work practices should have been chosen by early 2009. In the first quarter of 2009, detailed contract negotiations will need to take place, social work practices will need to get themselves set up in offices, and practical arrangements for transferring cases will need to be put in place. The aim is to have social work practices up and running, with full caseloads, at Easter 2009, roughly a year after Royal Assent. The intention is that they should then run until Easter 2011. During that two-year period, evaluation evidence will be gathered. In the fourth year, from Easter 2011 to Easter 2012, the evaluation of the pilots will take place. The evaluation will be independent, and we will ensure that the evaluation report is made public and that there is full and proper consultation before the model is made available to all local authorities, if this is indeed a desired option. Year 5 would then be a period of transition. If a decision is taken to make the social work practice model available more widely, we will need to take time to get the regulation regime right. We will want to design and consult on national minimum standards for social work practices and give the chief inspector time to prepare inspection arrangements. Those local authorities who had operated the pilots would also need to commission social work practices for the post-pilot period, and they will need time to do that. Taking account of the timetable that I have set out, I hope that the Committee will consider that a five-year period is reasonable and that the date of commencement arrangements is now clear.