§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Attorney-General what further steps are being taken to achieve reciprocal enforcement agreements in matters of family law and child custody.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Government consider that the best way forward is to encourage countries to ratify the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction and the European convention on recognition and enforcement of decisions concerning custody of children and on restoration of custody of children rather than to promote a proliferation of different bilateral agreements. The Government take every opportunity to make their views known to those states that have still to accede to these conventions or to put them into effect. In relation to child maintenance orders, the United Kingdom is participating in the early stages of discussions aimed at producing an EC agreement.