§ Mr. Squireasked the Attorney-General if he will review the present law under which a divorced woman with custody of the children is unable to change their name, in the absence of their father's agreement.
§ The Solicitor-General, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 25 May 1979; Vol. 967, c. 267–8], gave the following answer:
The law on this matter is not quite accurately stated in the question. In the absence of agreement between parents 19W either may apply to the court and the court, in deciding whether the name should be changed, treats the welfare of the child as the first and paramount consideration. I regard this as the best and fairest solution of a sensitive and difficult problem.