To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he is providing to separated parents to help them agree their own arrangements for the payment of child maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he is providing to separated parents to help them agree their own arrangements for the payment of child maintenance.

I thank the Minister for his detailed and measured reply. He did not take part in our deliberations in Committee, but it is clear from his response that he has taken a great deal of time to go through what was said, and we very much appreciate that. He has...

I thank the Minister for his detailed and measured reply. He did not take part in our deliberations in Committee, but it is clear from his response that he has taken a great deal of time to go through what was said, and we very much appreciate that. He has...

I thank the Minister for that implicit acknowledgement that there is a need to review these issues. I hope that, in continuing our discussions on this matter today, I have been able to embed it in the Minister’s mind, and that he will go away from this place mindful of...

I thank the Minister for that implicit acknowledgement that there is a need to review these issues. I hope that, in continuing our discussions on this matter today, I have been able to embed it in the Minister’s mind, and that he will go away from this place mindful of...

My hon. Friend makes a pertinent point. I had hoped that the Under-Secretary, who is new to his job, would have appreciated the scale of difference in the available data and felt that it deserved further investigation. My hon. Friend is right to raise the matter. I reiterate that the...

My hon. Friend makes a pertinent point. I had hoped that the Under-Secretary, who is new to his job, would have appreciated the scale of difference in the available data and felt that it deserved further investigation. My hon. Friend is right to raise the matter. I reiterate that the...

New clause 20 is an attempt to tie down some of the detail about when risk assessments are used, and I want to discuss three elements of it. First, the trigger for a risk assessment is important. The trigger in new clause 20 specifies"““grounds to suspect that the child concerned...

New clause 20 is an attempt to tie down some of the detail about when risk assessments are used, and I want to discuss three elements of it. First, the trigger for a risk assessment is important. The trigger in new clause 20 specifies"““grounds to suspect that the child concerned...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

I thank my hon. Friend for his timely intervention. That is precisely the sort of problem that we are trying to overcome, not only in this amendment but in others. That is not in any way to detract from the significant problems that are faced by families and by children...

I thank my hon. Friend for his timely intervention. That is precisely the sort of problem that we are trying to overcome, not only in this amendment but in others. That is not in any way to detract from the significant problems that are faced by families and by children...

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman. The Bill provides that, if people suspect that sexual abuse is taking place, it will be investigated. The only difference concerns ““reasonable grounds”” for suspecting that sexual abuse is occurring rather than ““cause to believe”” that it is taking place. As I have said,...

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman. The Bill provides that, if people suspect that sexual abuse is taking place, it will be investigated. The only difference concerns ““reasonable grounds”” for suspecting that sexual abuse is occurring rather than ““cause to believe”” that it is taking place. As I have said,...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

Given the lateness of the hour, it is right to say now that we intend to press for a vote after debating this group of amendments. I shall speak to new clause 22 and the two amendments. New clause 22 deals directly with mediation and I draw the House’s attention...

Given the lateness of the hour, it is right to say now that we intend to press for a vote after debating this group of amendments. I shall speak to new clause 22 and the two amendments. New clause 22 deals directly with mediation and I draw the House’s attention...

The right hon. Gentleman makes a good point. The new clause is not intended to make mediation compulsory. It is not possible to do that, but we can make mediation a routine part of accepted practice in court proceedings. If the mediation does not take place, it is right to...

The right hon. Gentleman makes a good point. The new clause is not intended to make mediation compulsory. It is not possible to do that, but we can make mediation a routine part of accepted practice in court proceedings. If the mediation does not take place, it is right to...

That is a matter that the hon. Gentleman has obviously considered in detail in respect of other aspects of the Bill, but I shall confine my remarks to the pertinent point that we need mediation to become part of the process. I am mindful of the time, so I shall...

That is a matter that the hon. Gentleman has obviously considered in detail in respect of other aspects of the Bill, but I shall confine my remarks to the pertinent point that we need mediation to become part of the process. I am mindful of the time, so I shall...

Children and Adoption Bill (HL). Report stage. New clauses 3, 20, 21 debated and withdrawn. New clauses 4 (discussed with New Clauses 9, 11 to 13, 16, 19, 24, 25 and new schedule 1), 17 and 22 debated and negatived on division. Third reading debate. Agreed to on division (291 to 132). Bill passed with an amendment.

Children and Adoption Bill (HL). Report stage. New clauses 3, 20, 21 debated and withdrawn. New clauses 4 (discussed with New Clauses 9, 11 to 13, 16, 19, 24, 25 and new schedule 1), 17 and 22 debated and negatived on division. Third reading debate. Agreed to on division (291...

Children and Adoption Bill (HL). Second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion for proceedings in Committee, on Report and Third reading agreed to on question (formal). Money resolution agreed to on question (formal).

Children and Adoption Bill (HL). Second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion for proceedings in Committee, on Report and Third reading agreed to on question (formal). Money resolution agreed to on question (formal).

I should be interested to hear the hon. Lady’s views on the fact that 40 per cent. of parents lose contact with their children within two years of separation or divorce. We need to focus on that issue, because that is the reality.

I should be interested to hear the hon. Lady’s views on the fact that 40 per cent. of parents lose contact with their children within two years of separation or divorce. We need to focus on that issue, because that is the reality.

We have had a full and wide-ranging debate. We have heard that children everywhere must cope with increasingly complex and difficult family relationships. Every year, 150,000 children have to deal with the distress and upset of divorce. One in five children are likely to go through their parents’ separation or...

We have had a full and wide-ranging debate. We have heard that children everywhere must cope with increasingly complex and difficult family relationships. Every year, 150,000 children have to deal with the distress and upset of divorce. One in five children are likely to go through their parents’ separation or...