§ 47. Mr. Skeffington-Lodgeasked the Attorney-General whether in the interest of protecting children in matrimonial cases, he will consider immediate legislation for the appointment of court welfare officers as recommended in the Denning Committee Report.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralAs my right hon. and learned Friend stated in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Brixton (Lieut.-Colonel Lipton) on 16th February last, I cannot hold out any hope of legislation in the immediate future.
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeDoes my hon. and learned Friend realise that thousands of children are at the present time the shuttlecocks in a game of evaded responsibilities, and is it not more than time that someone was appointed in these divorce cases to look after their interests and settle their future in a satisfactory way?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe position of children involved in matrimonial disputes presents a cogent problem and one which is difficult of solution. I do not want it to be taken from anything I have said that the Government have rejected the recommendations in this respect of the Denning Committee.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonDo the words "immediate future" mean during this Session or possibly next Session?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThey mean the immediate future. That is what the Question asked.