Written question asked by Charlotte Leslie (Conservative) on Friday, 18 March 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 March 2016. It was answered by Caroline Dinenage (Conservative) on Tuesday, 29 March 2016 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Interviews: Children

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what regulations govern parental consent for the recording of interviews with lone children in cases involving Cafcass.

Answer: There are no regulations governing parental consent for the recording of interviews with lone children in cases involving the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass). The extent of the role and responsibilities of Cafcass officers is set out in the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Practice Direction 16a, and this refers to the duty to “make such investigations as may be necessary”. Cafcass practitioners are aware that they must consider the best interests of the child in all aspects of their casework, including dealing with a request from a parent to record an interview.

Secondary information