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Children's rights 'not being met' Children's rights 'not being met'
(about 1 hour later)
Britain is failing to meet standards on improving children's rights, a report from the UN has said.Britain is failing to meet standards on improving children's rights, a report from the UN has said.
Its Committee on the Rights of the Child wants ministers to abolish the use of Asbos and only jail young offenders as a last resort.Its Committee on the Rights of the Child wants ministers to abolish the use of Asbos and only jail young offenders as a last resort.
The report contains more than 120 recommendations, 50 more than the last report six years ago.The report contains more than 120 recommendations, 50 more than the last report six years ago.
The government said it "broadly welcomed" the report and would carefully consider its recommendations.The government said it "broadly welcomed" the report and would carefully consider its recommendations.
The report also expressed concern about the high level of child poverty in the UK.The report also expressed concern about the high level of child poverty in the UK.
It said ministers had made a great deal of progress in implementing the UN Convention on Rights of the Child since 2002. The committee said anti-social behaviour orders and other measures, such as mosquito devices, "may violate the rights of children to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly".
'Climate of intolerance'
It also attacked children's appearances on reality television shows and it recommended such programmes were regulated to ensure their privacy was not violated.
The committee said it was "concerned at the general climate of intolerance and negative public attitudes towards children, especially adolescents, which appears to exist in the UK, including in the media, and may be often the underlying cause of further infringements of their rights".
The sheer number of recommendations made in the UN Committee's report shows the scale and urgency of the problem David BullUnicef UKThe sheer number of recommendations made in the UN Committee's report shows the scale and urgency of the problem David BullUnicef UK
The report says the age of criminal responsibility should be raised from 10 in England and Wales and eight in Scotland. But it also said ministers had made a great deal of progress in implementing the UN Convention on Rights of the Child since 2002.
It also criticises any overuse of restraint on the young in custody, saying it should only be used to protect individuals. The report also concluded the age of criminal responsibility should be raised from 10 in England and Wales and eight in Scotland.
It recommends an end to the use of ultrasonic mosquito devices used to disperse children. It also criticised any overuse of restraint on the young in custody, saying it should only be used to protect individuals.
Unicef UK called for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to be incorporated into law.Unicef UK called for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to be incorporated into law.
David Bull, the charity's executive director, said the government had shown a growing commitment to children's rights but that "more needs to be done".David Bull, the charity's executive director, said the government had shown a growing commitment to children's rights but that "more needs to be done".
StrategiesStrategies
"Despite good intentions, children's rights are still not at the heart of policy-making in the UK."Despite good intentions, children's rights are still not at the heart of policy-making in the UK.
"The sheer number of recommendations made in the UN Committee's report shows the scale and urgency of the problem." It is not the first time the British government has got in the neck over its treatment of the young Mark Easton BBC home editor Read Mark's thoughts in full"The sheer number of recommendations made in the UN Committee's report shows the scale and urgency of the problem." It is not the first time the British government has got in the neck over its treatment of the young Mark Easton BBC home editor Read Mark's thoughts in full
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said: "I broadly welcome the concluding observations and we will give the committee's recommendations the careful consideration they deserve. Shami Chakrabarti, director of campaign group Liberty, said the report gave "lie to the notion that Britain is a place where 'every child matters'".
"I look forward to publishing progress on our Children's Plan later in the year. This will set out ambitions and strategies for tackling many of the issues the UN Committee has highlighted." "The restraint techniques used in youth custody are nothing short of state-sponsored child abuse," she said.
"We weep hot tears for kids suffering all over the world but if they have the audacity to seek asylum here they can look forward to degradation and detention."
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said she broadly welcomed the report's concluding observations, adding that the committee's recommendations would be given "the careful consideration they deserve".
"I look forward to publishing progress on our Children's Plan later in the year. This will set out ambitions and strategies for tackling many of the issues the UN Committee has highlighted," she said.