§ 2.58 p.m.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone)My Lords, I beg to introduce a Bill to amend the law relating to the jurisdiction of the courts in the United Kingdom to make orders with regard to the custody of children; to make provision as to the recognition and enforcement of such orders throughout the United Kingdom; to make further provision as to the imposition, effect and enforcement of restrictions on the removal of children from the United Kingdom or from any part of the United Kingdom; to amend the law relating to the jurisdiction of courts in Scotland as to tutory and curatory; to amend the law relating to the recognition of divorces, annulments and legal separations; to make further provision with respect to the effect of divorces and annulments on wills; to amend the law relating to the powers of the courts to make declarations relating to the status of a person; to abolish the right to petition for jactitation of marriage; to repeal the Greek Marriages Act 1884; to make further provision with respect to family proceedings rules; to amend the Child Abduction Act 1984, the Child Abduction (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and the Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985; and for connected purposes. I beg to move that this Bill be now read a first time.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read a first time.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ Lord Elwyn-JonesMy Lords, can the noble and learned Lord give an indication of how many pages in the statute book this will add?
§ The Lord ChancellorSurprisingly few, my Lords.
§ On Question, Bill read a first time, and to be printed.