§ Lords amendment: No. 1, in page 7, line 25, after "section" insert "—(a)".
4.20 pm§ The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Alexander Fletcher)I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bernard Weatherill)With this it will be convenient to take Lords amendments Nos. 2 and 3.
§ Mr. FletcherThe amendments concern the case where a parent makes an appeal to the sheriff, under new section 28F of clause 1, against the refusal of his placing a request. In such a case considerable concern has been expressed that where sheriff court proceedings are held in public there may be harmful effects for the child concerned and his parents. I am sure that hon. Members will agree that the welfare of the children concerned is the most important consideration in this matter. The amendments accordingly provide that any hearing that the sheriff might decide to conduct in consideration of an appeal on a placing request shall be heard in private.
§ Mr. Martin J. O'Neill (Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire)We are pleased to support the amendment, as the matter was first raised by Lord Ross of Marnock on Report. We are certainly anxious that children should not be dragged through the courts and that no additional anxiety should be caused by what I think we all consider to be a most unsatisfactory outcome to any parental appeal in respect of zoning arrangements and the like. If the courts are to be involved, it is desirable that that involvement should be, as it were, in camera. We are therefore very pleased that the Minister has now seen fit to accede to the request of our noble Friends in another place.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Lords amendments Nos. 2 and 3 agreed to.
§ Lords amendment:No. 4, in page 9, line 25, after first "the" insert "appeal".
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.
This is clearly a drafting amendment to put beyond doubt that the reference to "the committee" in new section 28H(5)(a) is to an appeal committee.
§ Question put and agreed to.