Campbell sets out agenda for family-friendly policies

4.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 27th Oct 2006

In a speech to the National Family and Parenting Institute today, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell said policies can only be family friendly when they put support, care and value for individuals at their heart, describing this as the Ethic of Care. He outlined Liberal Democrat policies that put ethic of care into practice by: helping to strengthen family relationships; coping with family breakdown; and raising the standard of childcare.

Sir Menzies said "For the majority of parents and carers access to childcare is a real concern. I support a new national standard for quality childcare. Because childcare is more than just babysitting: it is a career choice ... a profession. And that means that it should be treated as such. Tomorrow's adults will only be happy and secure citizens if we nurture them today. We have a duty to treat our children in accordance with the ethic of care."