Is it not clear that one factor in the Cleveland Crisis was the rapid way in which it generated a bottleneck in court procedures?

The hon. Lady's question distracts attention - again, I apologise for repeating something that I said last Wednesday - from the fact that, although the Cleveland Crisis caused pressure on resources in Cleveland, it does not follow that a lack of resources created the crisis.

The purpose of the letter was contained in its last paragraph:Following the Crisis in Cleveland, Doctor Higgs has been seconded to look after babies at the Princess Mary hospital, a university teaching hospital in Newcastle.

The events of the Crisis in Cleveland, so well documented by Lord Justice Butler-Sloss, seriously damaged public confidence in the paediatric and child protection services in Cleveland.

Members of Parliament throughout the Cleveland Crisis, and who have discussed child care in the House over many years, should feel a sense of achievement.