🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate and I am not at all surprised that there is evidence which suggests that reducing conflict is a good thing for children. Indeed, it would be surprising if it did not, and certainly it is not my purpose to argue for more conflict. The purpose of the amendment has been simply to point out that there is other important research...
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My Lords, in response to my amendment on children in Committee, the Minister said: “Divorce, at least in terms of the legal process, is of limited duration”.—[Official Report, 3/3/20; col. 549.] It may be seen in those terms by parents but I suggest to the Minister that that is not the case for children. He also suggested that I should review the family test for the Bill in response to...
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My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate. I am again pleased that we have had such a focused discussion on the implications of this legislation for children. We had an important one in Committee, but this was more widely spread. I am afraid that I am not particularly reassured by the response of the Minister—no doubt he would expect this—who does not even...
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My Lords, in Committee we had a useful debate on the impact of the Bill on children. The amendment I moved on that occasion required that the best interests of children should be considered in the divorce process. In his response, the Minister said, among other things: “I understand why some may regard it as important for the court to consider the impacts on children of the decision to...
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My Lords, I am pleased to support Amendment 1, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord McColl. I continue to be concerned about the lack of regard for the respondent demonstrated in this legislation. In the first instance, respondents lose their right to contest the divorce and thus, in an important sense, their voice. In the second instance, as the noble Lord has already said, respondents are...
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My Lords, the modest but important point of this amendment would be to permit a spouse who does not want to divorce to have that fact placed on the public record. As I explained at Second Reading, I am concerned that this Bill facilitates a significant shift in power from the respondent to the petitioner, without proper regard either for the best interests of the respondent or any children...
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My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for what he has said. It is a probing amendment and has afforded me an opportunity to make an important point about speaking up for the respondent. I will reflect on the Minister’s response but, for the moment, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment 10 withdrawn. Clause 2: Judicial separation: removal of factual grounds Amendments 11 to 13...
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My Lords, I am most grateful to all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate, which has been extremely interesting and wide-ranging. Despite what has been said, the role of children and the effect on them of divorce proceedings would not have had anything like the prominence that it has had but for this amendment. I did not realise that the family test assessment is available; I was...
More of Baroness Howe of Idlicote's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of pavement parking on disabled pedestrians.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money has been spent under section 22 of the Family Law Act 1996 on (1) the provision of marriage support services, (2) research into the causes of marital breakdown, and (3) the research into ways of preventing marital breakdown, for every financial year since the Act was passed.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government when the standstill period for the British Board of Film Classification's Guidance on Age-verification Arrangements ends; and when they intend to (1) lay that guidance before Parliament, and (2) announce the new date on which the age verification regime to prevent children accessing commercial pornography online will come into force.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned research into online pornography use and its effect on attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls; and if so, when that research will be published.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 20 July (HL Deb, cols 883–4), on what date the age verification requirements to protect children from accessing online pornography will come into effect.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will implement the requirements in the Digital Economy Act 2017 in relation to age verification on websites with pornographic content.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) arrests, and (2) convictions, for importing child sex dolls there have been in the financial years (a) 2016–17, (b) 2017–18, and (c) 2018–19.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the (1) Director of Public Prosecutions, and (2) Crown Prosecution Service, on whether an imported child sex doll falls within the definition of an obscene article under the Customs Consolidation Act 1876.
More of Baroness Howe of Idlicote's written questions
