Information on where the child will live, who has responsibility and making a child maintenance arrangement when parents are not together.

Information on where the child will live, who has responsibility and making a child maintenance arrangement when parents are not together.

I give that commitment to my hon. Friend. If he is patient, I may give him other commitments as well. I know that when we spoke he was keen on the work that has been done, which has been agreed by Baroness Ashton. That involved a closer look at the...

I give that commitment to my hon. Friend. If he is patient, I may give him other commitments as well. I know that when we spoke he was keen on the work that has been done, which has been agreed by Baroness Ashton. That involved a closer look at the...

I wish that we could solve all those problems, but we will not do so immediately or in the next year—it will take much longer. Once that dreadful position is reached, the non-resident parent is prevented from seeing the child altogether, even though the safety issues have been resolved. We...

I wish that we could solve all those problems, but we will not do so immediately or in the next year—it will take much longer. Once that dreadful position is reached, the non-resident parent is prevented from seeing the child altogether, even though the safety issues have been resolved. We...

I am saddened but not entirely surprised to hear that the hon. Lady has problems with the phrase ““legal presumption””. Will she explain why 50 of her colleagues have signed early-day motion 128, which refers specifically to the need to have a ““legal presumption of contact””? Are they misguided, or...

I am saddened but not entirely surprised to hear that the hon. Lady has problems with the phrase ““legal presumption””. Will she explain why 50 of her colleagues have signed early-day motion 128, which refers specifically to the need to have a ““legal presumption of contact””? Are they misguided, or...

The hon. Lady knows from Committee that I strongly support mediation, but the first part of new clause 22 calls for the setting up of a register of mediators. Does she accept that the register already exists? In fact, there are already two registers of accredited mediators, so the new...

The hon. Lady knows from Committee that I strongly support mediation, but the first part of new clause 22 calls for the setting up of a register of mediators. Does she accept that the register already exists? In fact, there are already two registers of accredited mediators, so the new...

I hear what my hon. Friend says. We wanted consensus. We have done our best to ensure that good sense and practical experience inform the debate. We have received an undertaking from the Minister on reviewing the situation on grandparents’ access, which was addressed by new clause 19. There will...

I hear what my hon. Friend says. We wanted consensus. We have done our best to ensure that good sense and practical experience inform the debate. We have received an undertaking from the Minister on reviewing the situation on grandparents’ access, which was addressed by new clause 19. There will...

It is only a matter of time.

It is only a matter of time.

I am pleased to be able to conclude the Third Reading debate. [Interruption.] It is gratifying to know that I am the cause of such hilarity on the Government Front Bench—particularly on the part of the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington...

I am pleased to be able to conclude the Third Reading debate. [Interruption.] It is gratifying to know that I am the cause of such hilarity on the Government Front Bench—particularly on the part of the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington...

You, Mr. Speaker, better than most, will understand that those of us with other duties in this House sometimes have difficulty in participating as much as we would like to do in all aspects of legislation. I have studied the Bill on paper—only on paper, not in the Chamber—and followed...

You, Mr. Speaker, better than most, will understand that those of us with other duties in this House sometimes have difficulty in participating as much as we would like to do in all aspects of legislation. I have studied the Bill on paper—only on paper, not in the Chamber—and followed...

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for drawing my attention to the fact that I was straying. Having made all my points, I conclude by saying that, overall, we support the basis of the Bill. As I have said, it is churlish to vote against a Bill if there is nothing...

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for drawing my attention to the fact that I was straying. Having made all my points, I conclude by saying that, overall, we support the basis of the Bill. As I have said, it is churlish to vote against a Bill if there is nothing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that I was being helpful, even if I was straying from the path.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that I was being helpful, even if I was straying from the path.

I want to respond to a couple of points that the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mrs. Miller) made. She rightly said that 90 per cent. of people do not go through a formal separation procedure. That is because 90 per cent. of people do not turn to the courts in...

I want to respond to a couple of points that the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mrs. Miller) made. She rightly said that 90 per cent. of people do not go through a formal separation procedure. That is because 90 per cent. of people do not turn to the courts in...

I want clarification on circumstances in which the mother has the child, the father is absent, the mother suddenly says that there is violence and that the father cannot see the child when there is no evidence of that. That is our concern.

I want clarification on circumstances in which the mother has the child, the father is absent, the mother suddenly says that there is violence and that the father cannot see the child when there is no evidence of that. That is our concern.

It is a valid concern. When frivolous allegations are made, the courts will be informed of that when the risk assessment is carried out. There are case law examples of the use of such evidence and the case rightly going against the person who made the frivolous allegations. The wording...

It is a valid concern. When frivolous allegations are made, the courts will be informed of that when the risk assessment is carried out. There are case law examples of the use of such evidence and the case rightly going against the person who made the frivolous allegations. The wording...

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...

Perhaps the research that Baroness Ashton has agreed to carry out will be of help to hon. Members on both sides of the House in this regard.

Perhaps the research that Baroness Ashton has agreed to carry out will be of help to hon. Members on both sides of the House in this regard.

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...

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

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

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...

I want to make some brief comments about amendment No. 19. Liberal Democrat Members welcome the new risk assessment that clause 7 proposes, but we believe that there is room for clarification. At the moment, there is a lack of detail about what a risk assessment would involve. Clause 7...

I want to make some brief comments about amendment No. 19. Liberal Democrat Members welcome the new risk assessment that clause 7 proposes, but we believe that there is room for clarification. At the moment, there is a lack of detail about what a risk assessment would involve. Clause 7...