§ Mr. DobbinTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department for what reasons the courts and other authorities are not able to take action when one parent takes unilateral action in preventing the other parent from having contact with their child. [65880]
§ Mr. HoonContact arrangements normally work best when both parents are willing to co-operate, and in approaching the enforcement of contact orders the courts will seek to secure this. But the courts can, and will, enforce orders granting a parent contact with a child, including imprisonment as a last resort. Courts take their decisions in the best interests of the child and in the light of all the evidence and the particular circumstances of each case.