§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Attorney-General what policy has been formulated with regard to the abduction of children to jurisdictions which do not have reciprocal enforcement agreements with the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. SainsburyI have been asked to reply.
I am fully aware of the distress that these cases cause to all parties involved.
Where children have been abducted to countries which have ratified 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, it is open to those concerned to seek the advice of the Lord Chancellor's Department which is the appointed central authority under the terms of the conventions.
In countries where the conventions are not applicable, actions can properly be taken only through the courts of the country concerned. We have no formal standing in what are essentially family matters.
Where children have dual nationality and are in the country of their second nationality, international law prevents us from making formal representations on their behalf. Such children are viewed as being in their own country, and are subject to their own country's law.