§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that passport applications for children who are wards of court or who are in the custody of one parent following divorce or separation have the consent of both parents.
§ Mr. MayhewAdministrative arrangements already exist which aim to provide a safeguard against the issue of a passport without the consent of both parents in the circumstances which the hon. Member has in mind. We do not consider that legislation is necessary.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of children wrongfully removed from the United Kingdom and taken abroad are known to him.
§ Mr. MayhewCases involving the unlawful removal of children from England and Wales are brought to our attention from time to time, but no record of the number of such cases has been kept.