Part of Children and Adoption Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 9:15 am ar 16 Mawrth 2006.
Annette Brooke
Shadow Spokesperson (Children, Schools and Families), Shadow Minister (Education), Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
9:15,
16 Mawrth 2006
I support the general principles behind the Amendment. Proposed new subsection (3A)(a) is right to ensure that we ascertain the views of the child—obviously in proportion to age and maturity. We must establish best practice for the way in which the wishes and feelings of the child are ascertained. There might be the fear that one parent was manipulating the child to give a particular view, and the caveat that we must develop best practice is vital. It is ridiculous to enforce something that distresses the child come what may. If there is manipulation, we still need to get behind what is distressing the child to try to address it in some other way. It is important to work towards that with the amendment.
On proposed new subsection (3B)(a), we must ensure that the Bill has the right balance and checks. In a recent Constituency case, of which I shall not give full details, contact was allowed some time ago, within the mother’s premises. I have heard only one side of the story, but I do not doubt that the mother is terrified about the contact and what is going to happen. There has been an enormous time lag in getting the matter back to court, and the concern is either that the risk might not have been ascertained properly, and would not have been even with the new provision in Clause 7, or that the domestic violence may occur during the stressful time after the break-up. I do not accept that the problem is always one of child safety. I just want to ensure that there are sufficient checks because harm could come to the child who witnesses violent behaviour while waiting months and months for the case to return to court. I want to get the right balance.
I am concerned about game-playing, with children being piggy in the middle and mothers or fathers being deprived of seeing their children. In the case that I mentioned, I could imagine the child being seriously injured mentally, if not physically. The amendment is important and contains important principles.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
violence occurring within the family
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
