PARENTING TIME PRESUMPTION

Early day motion 299A1A1, tabled 7 January 2004 by Hilton Dawson (Labour). Signed by 14 members.

Line 2, leave out from 'believes' to end and add 'that contact and parenting are issues of children's rights and parental responsibility; notes that Article 9 (3) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out that 'state parties shall respect the rights of the Child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis except if it is contrary to the child's best interests; deplores those family court judgements which have ignored the wishes and feelings of children and endangered them by insisting on contact with violent men and Schedule 1 offenders; and calls on the Government to amend the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill [Lords] to introduce a rebuttable presumption that children should not have contact with perpetrators of child abuse or domestic violence unless they want it and such parenting time can be made safe.'

Signatures by party: Labour 13, Liberal Democrat 1.