Brown and Cameron clash over Baby P case

The Government last night announced an urgent inquiry in Haringey Council's handling of the case of Baby P, a 17-month-old who died after horrific abuse. The announcement by Ed Balls, the Schools and Families Secretary, followed a furious row in the Commons between David Cameron and Gordon Brown.

Balls said he was ordering a fresh inquiry of the "tragic and appalling case" under the Children Act, to be conducted by Ofsted, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the chief inspector of constabulary.

But the Speaker of the House, Michael Martin, was forced to intervene when Cameron and Brown clashed angrily over the issue. The Tory leader complained that a previous review of the case had not been independent.

The Prime Minister retorted that he regretted that Cameron was "making a party political issue of this". The Speaker struggled to restore order as baying Conservative backbenchers shouted "cheap" and "shameful" at Brown.