§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will state for the latest year for which figures are available the number of abducted children returned to the United Kingdom from other EU countries and the number of abducted children returned by the United Kingdom to other EU countries. [32292]
§ Mr. StreeterFigures are available only for the number of cases or requests for the return of children dealt with by the child abduction unit with respect to England and Wales. The number of cases dealt with in respect of children(a) brought to England and Wales from other EU states; and (b) taken to other EU states from England and Wales, in 1995, the latest year for which figures are available, is given in the table. The table distinguishes between those cases in which children were returned under judicial direction and those where they were returned voluntarily, and also shows the number of cases in which an application to a court for the return of children was unsuccessful.
73W
1995—The Hague and European convention cases European Union contracting states Judicial return Voluntary return Judicial refusal Children brought to England and Wales 42 11 7
1995—The Hague and European convention cases European Union contracting states Judicial return Voluntary return Judicial refusal Children taken from England and Wales 16 27 2
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will state the number of requests for return to the United Kingdom of abducted children made to each country under The Hague convention by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available [32303]
§ Mr. StreeterApplications made by the Central Authority for England and Wales for the return to the United Kingdom of abducted children under The Hague convention are not separately recorded. The number of applications made under both The Hague and European conventions for the return of children and the enforcement of access orders in 1995, the latest year for which figures are available, is given in the table:
Country application made to Number of applications made Australia 9 Belgium 2 Canada 7 Cyprus 3 Denmark 8 Finland 1 France 15 Germany 17 Greece 4 Ireland 35 Israel 2 Italy 5 Netherlands 9 New Zealand 6 Norway 3 Portugal 2 Spain 17 Sweden 2 Switzerland 1 USA 38 Total 186
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will state the expenditure on legal aid in child abduction cases in the latest year for which figures are available and the estimated amount of that expenditure that was paid to legal aid claimants from overseas who were seeking the return of their children from the United Kingdom to a country overseas. [32293]
§ Mr. StreeterThe net cost to the legal aid fund of child abduction cases closed in the year 1995–96—that is, cases where the final bills were received—was £1.6 million. This does not include payments made on account in respect of cases that were not closed in 1995–96. Of the expenditure on child abduction cases in 1995–96, £905,000 was applied to overseas residents.
74WInformation on cases involving legal aid claimants resident overseas is not collected centrally. Many claimants from abroad will be United Kingdom citizens. Nationality is not a factor in determining qualification for legal aid; legal aid is available to anyone having a justiciable cause falling within the jurisdiction of England and Wales, provided they satisfy the statutory requirements governing financial means and legal merit.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number of children known to his Department to have been abducted out of the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [32302]
§ Mr. StreeterThis information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what assessment he has made in relation to his Department's responsibilities of whether The Hague convention of the civil aspects of international child abduction requires either amendment or clarification of the working practices under the convention; and what steps he will take to try to secure improvement; [32301]
(2) what assessment he has made in relation to his Department's responsibilities of whether The Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction requires either amendment or clarification of the working practices under the convention; and what steps he will take to try to secure improvements. [32299]
§ Mr. StreeterAssessments were made in advance of meetings of the convention states at The Hague in October 1989 and January 1993 to review the operation of the convention. In general, the convention has operated satisfactorily from this country's point of view. A new area of difficulty has arisen, however, and this is being pursued with the country concerned. There is to be another review meeting at The Hague early next year.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many new cases his Department's child abduction unit carried out work relating to The Hague convention on child abduction and the European custody convention in each year since 1990. [32300]
§ Mr. StreeterThe number of new cases in which the chid abduction unit for England and Wales(a) received applications for the return of children or applications for the enforcement of an access order from other states, and (b) made applications to other states for the return of children or for the enforcement of an access order, in each year since 1990, is given in the table:
75W
Year Applications received Applications made 1990 62 109 1991 83 106 1992 118 117 1993 128 145 1994 161 163 1995 188 186 Total 740 826