… . The family provides affection, comfort and inspiration. One could always go there whatever happend. Not to have that family is surely the greatest deprivation of all. To have a family where you receive problems, abuse, cruelty is something that most of us can't even imagine.
Earlier today, I had a rather exiting engagement. We had to No 10 Downing Street all the living scientific Nobel prize winners. They came to lunch and we've just been talking about scientific research—how to unlock the scientific problems of the universe—maybe the structural ones. Very exiting. These remarkable people and some young people in whom we have such great hopes.
And then I come here and we're dealing not so much with the scientific problems but the real problems of human nature: why is it that people of whatsoever background turn to do these terrible things whether it be neglect or cruelty? Perhaps one day research will tell us the answer but we haven't time to wait. We have to find out where it is occurring and when we've found out we have to know what to do about it: because it isn't easy to go into someone's home—to call a policeman. What are your legal rights, what are their legal rights? Supposing they won't let you in, what do you do? You can't leave it alone because you might be letting down that child and if that child can't rely on you upon whom can that child rely?
It was because we felt this so strongly that the NSPCC decided to set up the training centre, of which you know and for which we held a fundraising evening at No 10 Downing Street, so that there would be social workers—and we need them trained to the highest professional degree, knowing their legal rights, who could tackle these situations, who knew that if a child came to school and was frightened to go home on a Friday evening—what in the world did you do—who know their rights.
We had a good evening as you heard and raised quite a lot of money so that we shall be the better able to help these children who rely upon us for any hope whatsoever that they may have. [end p1]
Now as you know, you're here in a dual capacity as members of the NSPCC and also as taxpayers. As members of the NSPCC you do wonderful work giving, not because you have to but because you wish to, we're that kind of country.
As tax payers you also give because I know that as taxpayers we can't do everything but we wish to give help to people who are doing things which otherwise would cost the State far more. And so as taxpayers you contribute to the headquarters grant of the NSPCC—that's doubly important to enable them to survive but so that every penny you raise in voluntary help goes to the children. And then today not so much only because you have done me the supreme honour of making me Vice-President, which is one of the greatest honours I've ever had, because I feel so strongly about it. But because I have another capacity as Prime Minister, and because the Secretary of State for Health thought I might be quite a good postman if I gave you a message—he has authorised me to say that he will on behalf of the taxpayer be giving £800,000 over three years to helping the Training Centre to train people to cope with child abuse and so thank you for everything you do. Everything we can do is not quite enough—it's the love—the fellow feeling, the sense of the future—the sense that children are the greatest trust we have that urges us on to do it.
Thank you your Royal Highness [Princess Margaret], ladies and gentlemen, for the very great honour which you bestow on me—which I shall cherish and shall try to do so much to deserve.