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Amendment Paper as at
Thursday 16th March 2006

STANDING COMMITTEE B


CHILDREN AND ADOPTION BILL [LORDS]

NOTE

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the Committee [14th March 2006].

   

Margaret Moran
Vera Baird
Mr David Kidney

34

Clause     4,     page     7,     line     22,     at end insert—

    '(3A)   In deciding whether a person had reasonable excuse for failing to comply with a contact order, the court shall consider

      (a) any objections from the child about the contact arrangements, and

      (b) the behaviour of the contact parent.

    (3B)   No court may make an enforcement order as regards a person in breach of a contact order unless,

      (a) it has considered an assessment of the risk to the child concerned and of any person with whom the child has his home, and

      (b) it is satisfied that the safety of the child of any person with who the child has his home will not be compromised by making an enforcement order.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

49

Clause     4,     page     7,     line     25,     at end insert—

    '(4A)   When considering whether to make an enforcement order, the Court shall have regard to the principle that, subject to the welfare of the child, the court acts on the presumption that a child's welfare is best served through reasonable contact with both his parents unless good reason to the contrary is shown.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

64

Clause     4,     page     7,     leave out line 34.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

65

Clause     4,     page     7,     line     35,     leave out subsections (6) and (7).

   

Annette Brooke
Sandra Gidley

26

Clause     4,     page     8,     line     15,     at end insert—

    '(14)   In considering whether to make an enforcement of a contact order, the welfare of the child concerned is to be the court's paramount consideration.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

3

Clause     4,     page     8,     line     30,     leave out '18' and insert '16'.

   

Annette Brooke

29

Clause     4,     page     8,     line     46,     at end insert—

    '(1A)   In considering whether to make an enforcement order the court shall take into account the need for separate representation of the child and his interests.'.

   

Margaret Moran

39

Clause     4,     page     9,     leave out lines 18 to 20 and insert—

    '(7)   In making an enforcement order in relation to a contact order, the welfare of the child concerned is to be the court's paramount consideration.'.


   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

50

Clause     5,     page     10,     line     7,     after 'suffered', insert 'significant'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

8

Clause     5,     page     10,     line     8,     at end insert 'including the costs incurred by initiating court action if subsequently upheld,'.

   

Jeremy Wright
Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Mr David Evennett

63

Clause     5,     page     10,     line     15,     after 'excuse', insert 'and the standard of proof is the balance of probabilities'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

51

Clause     5,     page     10,     line     26,     leave out subsections (7) and (8).

   

Margaret Moran

40

Clause     5,     page     10,     leave out lines 43 to 44 and insert—

    '(14)   In exercising its powers under this section, the welfare of the child concerned is to be the court's paramount consideration.'.

   

Annette Brooke
Sandra Gidley

27

Clause     5,     page     10,     line     44,     at end insert—

    '(15)   In considering compensation for financial loss, the welfare of the child concerned is to be the court's paramount consideration.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

4

Clause     5,     page     11,     line     17,     leave out '18' and insert '16'.


   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

52

Page     11,     line     23,     leave out Clause 6.


   

Margaret Moran

35

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     3,     at beginning insert—

    '(1)   After section 8 of the Children Act 1989 (c. 41) insert—

    "8A   Pre-court checks

    (1)   On receipt of any application under section 8 the court shall direct that the relevant pre-court checks are undertaken to screen for indicators of risk to the child's safety and well-being.

    (2)   The court may ask an officer of the Service or a Welsh family proceedings officer to undertake any checks for the screening required by subsection (1).

    (3)   It shall be the duty of the officer of the Service or a Welsh family proceedings officer to comply with a request from the court under subsection (2).

    (4)   A court shall not normally make an order under section 8 until it has considered the results of the screening required by subsection (1) and is satisfied that the arrangements will be safe for the child.

    (5)   Pre-court checks to screen for indicators of risk required by subsection (1) and any subsequent risk assessments under section 16A shall be undertaken in accordance with the Code of Practice issued under section 8B.

    8B   Risk: code of practice

    (1)   The Secretary of State shall prepare, and from time to time revise, a Code of Practice regarding screening for indicators of risk and regarding risk assessment as required by section 16A.

    (2)   Before preparing the Code of Practice or making any alteration in it the Secretary of State shall consult such bodies as appear to him to be concerned.

    (3)   The Secretary of State shall lay copies of the Code and of any alteration in the Code before Parliament; and if either House of Parliament passes a resolution requiring the Code or any alteration to be withdrawn the Secretary of State shall withdraw the Code, and where he withdraws the Code, shall prepare a Code in substitution for the one which was withdrawn.

    (4)   No resolution shall be passed above in respect of a Code or any alteration after the expiration of the period of 40 days beginning with the day on which a copy of the Code or alteration was laid before that House; but for the purpose of this subsection no account shall be taken of any time during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than four days.

    (5)   The Secretary of State shall publish the Code as for the time being in force."'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

45

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     14,     leave out 'cause' and insert 'reasonable grounds'.

   

Margaret Moran
Vera Baird
Mr David Kidney

36

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     15,     after 'harm', insert 'at any time during proceedings,'.

   

Annette Brooke

30

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     17,     at end insert—

    '(2A)   Upon receiving a risk assessment the court shall consider the need for separate representation of the child and his interests within proceedings.'.

   

Margaret Moran
Vera Baird
Mr David Kidney

37

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     20,     after 'child', insert 'and undertaken in accordance with the Code of Practice issued under section 8B'.

   

Margaret Moran
Vera Baird
Mr David Kidney

38

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     20,     at end insert—

    '(4)   A court shall not make an order under section 8 until it has considered the results of the risk assessment required by subsection (1) and is satisfied that the arrangements will be safe for the child.'.

   

Tim Loughton
Mrs Maria Miller
Mr Stewart Jackson
Jeremy Wright
Mr David Evennett

53

Clause     7,     page     12,     line     20,     at end add—

    '(4)   All risk assessments undertaken pursuant to subsection (2) shall proceed on the presumption that the child's interests are best served through reasonable contact with both his parents unless a good reason to the contrary is shown.

    (5)   When deciding whether there is reason to suspect that a child is at risk of harm, an Officer of the Service or a Welsh proceedings officer may only make a risk assessment where he has reasonable grounds to suspect that there is a significant risk of significant harm.

    (6)   An officer of the service or a Welsh proceedings office may only make a risk assessment where he has reasonable grounds to suspect that the significant risk involves a risk—

      (a) to the child's physical safety, or

      (b) of sexual abuse.

    (7)   In all other circumstances than those outlined in subsections (5) and (6), the Officer of the Service or a Welsh proceedings officer shall not undertake a risk assessment except where directed to do so by a court.

    (8)   In any risk assessment based upon the likelihood of recurrence of previous events or previous risks it shall be a requirement that no reliance is placed upon previous events or previous risks in the absence of a finding of fact that those events or risks actually occurred.'.



 
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Prepared 16 Mar 2006