Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:9845] 
7.  
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) 
): 
 Why did the Department of Child Youth and Family Services fail to use $1 million worth of pre-purchased nationally contracted bed nights in 2002-03? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
 on behalf of the 
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) 
: The Department of Child Youth and Family Services contracts with providers annually based on estimated volumes of around 335000 bed nights. Last year there were 13514 unused bed nights—4 percent of the total. The Department of Child Youth and Family Services plans a small surplus of bed nights to ensure there are always beds available at short notice. However last year’s surplus was higher than it should have been partly because a large provider that cares for some of the country’s most challenging children experienced difficulties that meant its bed nights went unused. The baseline review also found that the department’s information systems did not address local needs precisely enough and recommended ways to improve them. 
Katherine Rich 
: Can the Minister assure the House that no children were left in unsafe environments over the 2002-03 year while safe beds that were paid for were not used; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: My understanding would be that that is exactly the case—that no child was left in circumstances that he or she should not have been left in. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What is the Government doing to ensure the effective use of pre-purchased bed nights? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: We are implementing the baseline review’s recommendations including investing up to $11.55 million over 3 years to ensure the department’s systems are efficient and effective. We are also injecting an extra $7 million over 3 years to help build a stronger regional structure to ensure that services are better aligned to local needs. 
Barbara Stewart 
: How can he have any confidence in the Department of Child Youth and Family Services budgetary process to meet the needs of abused or neglected children in New Zealand when it does not even know the total number of children currently in its care? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The department does know the total number of children in its care but unfortunately its data is currently held at site level which means that when that question is asked it takes some time for the department to gather the data and put it together. That is one of the changes recommended in the baseline review—that as well as the department holding that data at site level it should hold it nationally. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You will recall that last week a question was asked of Ruth Dyson on that very precise matter. In what has been described by the newspapers as a “Parekura-ism” she got up and gave a long extended answer that made no sense whatsoever. Today that same answer has been given by that Minister saying simply that the information is being kept but we cannot tell it to the House—a full week later. That is just contempt of Parliament and a bureaucratic disgrace approved by that Minister. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No that is debating the answer. The answer certainly addressed the question asked. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: In light of the 31 percent increase in notifications to the Department of Child Youth and Family Services this year that require further investigation including 260 critical cases 115 very urgent cases 1673 urgent cases and 712 low-urgent cases how does the Minister know that those unused bed nights were not needed to keep those 2760 children safe? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I stress I am answering on behalf of the Associate Minister. What I said earlier was that it was my understanding that no child was left in circumstances that he or she should not have been left in. 
Sue Bradford 
: Why did the Department of Child Youth and Family Services fail to make full use of its budget for high and complex needs in 2002-03 and what steps is it taking to improve its services for children and young people in its care who have mental health needs? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: A precise question would need to be put down to the Associate Minister to get the answer as I am answering on her behalf. But the member will recall that the history of this money is one of it being shared between education health and child youth and family services and that it took quite some time for the courts to get used to recommending that children are placed in a way that will make use of this money. That meant the uptake was a little slower but my understanding is once again that money is now being used by the courts. 
Katherine Rich 
: Can he give an assurance that no Department of Child Youth and Family Services social worker was made to compromise his or her practice by having to leave a child in an unsafe environment because the social worker was under the false impression that no bed nights were available in the year 2002-03; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have not spoken to every social worker in the country although there are record numbers of them at the present time. But the social workers are professional social workers and they need to make professional judgments. I am sure they do everything they can to make sure children are placed properly. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: I seek leave to table the information that shows there are 2760 cases needing further investigation. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.