HL Deb 08 November 1989 vol 512 cc856-7

277 Schedule 1, page 70, line 3, leave out 'High Court, a county court or a magistrates'.'

278 Page 71, line 8, leave out 'the parents of the child' and insert' —

  1. (a) any parent making or securing the payments; and
  2. (b) any parent to whom the payments are made or secured,'.

279 Page 71, line 26, leave out 'or 2'.

280 Page 71, line 34, at end insert — '(2A) Where the court makes an order under paragraph 1 against a person who is not the father of the child, it shall record in the order that the order is made on the basis that the person against whom the order is made is not the child's father.'

281 Page 71, leave out line 36 and insert — '(a) in relation to a decision whether to exercise its powers under paragraph 1, any parent of the child; (aa) in relation to a decision whether to exercise its powers under paragraph 2, the mother and father of the child;'.

282 Page 72, line 2, leave out '£500' and insert '£1000'.

283 Page 73, line 9, leave out 'or 2'.

284 Page 74, line 32, leave out 'High Court, a country court or a magistrates'.'

285 Page 76, line 4, leave out '(4)' and insert '(3)'.

286 Page 77, line 5, leave out 'and' and insert — '(2) In this schedule except paragraphs 2 and 15,'.

287 Page 77, line 7, at end insert '; and for this purpose any reference to either parent or both parents shall be construed as references to any parent of his and to all of his parents'.

The Lord Chancellor

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 277 to 287 en bloc.

Amendments Nos. 277 and 284 are drafting amendments. "The court" will be defined in the Bill as meaning the High Court, a county court or a magistrates' court. The amendments therefore remove superfluous words from paragraphs 2(1) and 10(2) of Schedule 1.

Amendment No. 285 is a drafting amendment. Amendment No. 282 amends the maximum amount of lump sums payable under magistrates' courts orders to take account of the Magistrates Courts (Increase of Lump Sums) Order 1988. Amendments Nos. 283, 278, 286 and 287 are drafting amendments. Amendment No. 279 is consequential upon Amendment No. 286.

Amendment No. 280 will require the court where appropriate to record on an order the fact that it was not made on the basis that the person against whom it was made was the child's father. That will facilitate the continued use of financial orders as a reliable basis for the registration of paternity under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 where appropriate.

Amendment No. 281 is a drafting amendment that is consequential upon Amendment No. 286.

Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in the said amendments. —(The Lord Chancellor.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.