§ 3. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the recent case of Mr. John James Smith, in which it was decided that once an affiliation order has been made against an individual no court can revoke that portion of the order which judges a man to be the putative father of the child concerned, although the liability to maintain payments may be discharged; and whether he will consider the introduction of amending legislation to deal with this matter?
§ Sir J. GILMOURIt had previously been decided by the courts that an adjudication of paternity in an affiliation order made by magistrates is not open to review after the time for appealing has expired. I propose to await the report of the Committee dealing, inter alia, with the enforcement of affiliation orders before coming to a decision as regards the desirability of legislation on the point.