§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it his policy that the passports of wards of court and other children at risk of child abduction be endorsed with details of relevant court orders. [30392]
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerConsiderationis currently being given by the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office to the question of the endorsement of the passports 400W circumstances of the offender or if circumstances have changed since the conviction. Periodical payments or further time to pay may be ordered in cases where that would be appropriate.
The magistrates court enforcing the fine may also use any of the following range of powers available to it:
- it can make a money payments supervision order;
- it can make an attachment of earnings order;
- it can make an application for deductions to be made from an offender's income support; and
- it may issue a distress warrant where the defaulter has goods which may be sold to meet the fine;
where the defaulter is under 18:
the parent or guardian, whose consent must be obtained, can be ordered to enter into a recognisance to ensure the defaulter pays, provided the court is satisfied the defaulter has had the means to pay and has refused or neglected to pay; orthe parent or guardian can be ordered to pay the fine provided the court is satisfied the defaulter has had the means to pay and has refused or neglected to pay.A working group on the enforcement of financial penalties has been set up by the Lord Chancellor's Department to identify and promote good practice in the enforcement of financial penalties and recommend procedural, administrative or legislative changes which would improve the enforcement of financial penalties. A study has also been commissioned by the Home Office research and planning unit to examine the use made of each of the enforcement methods available to the courts. The findings of the study will help to inform the considerations of the working group.
of children at risk of child abduction. It is not possible at this stage to indicate the likely outcome of this process.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the work of his Department in the field of child abduction over the past year; and what work is planned in the year ahead. [30388]
§ Mr. MacleanIn association with REUNITE—the National Council for Abducted Children—officials and police officers have been reviewing police practice in this field. It is hoped that some guidance materials for parents and police officers will be produced.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many known cases there have been of child abduction from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [30390]
§ Mr. MacleanNo information is collected centrally on the number of children abducted from the United Kingdom.