Clause 3 - Contact orders: warning notices
Children and Adoption Bill [Lords]
9:00 am
Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families), Department for Education and Skills; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman will know that the report on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill recommended that an order issued by the courts should include a clear warning that breaching its requirement would lead to an enforcement order being made involving unpaid work, a fine or imprisonment. The warning should set out in full not only the possible consequences of breaching an enforcement order but the possibility, although we know that it is not used very often, of contempt and the possible consequences of that. The warning should give a full account of the possible consequences to the person receiving an order.
It is also important—we intend to ensure this—that the warning is embodied within the order itself. It will not be a piece of paper attached with a paper clip; we will reprint and redesign the orders so that they include the warning. There can therefore be no possibility that people have not seen it. I hope that that satisfies the hon. Gentleman.