§ The Earl of Mar and Kellieasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the statement by the Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 1 July (H.L. Deb., cols. 437–442), whether there is a conflict in Scotland between the proposed formula for child support payments in Great Britain and the duty to maintain contact with estranged children, as laid down in Sections 1 and 2 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1996. [HL3576]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)There is no conflict.
Sections 1 and 2 of the Children (Scotland) 1995 Act set out the responsibilities of parents and include their right to maintain personal relations and direct contact with children if they are not living with each other.
The proposals for reform set out in the White Paper A new contract for welfare: Children's Rights and Parents' Responsibilities (Cm 4349) are intended to ensure that non-resident parents also fulfil their responsibility to support their children. The new rates strike the right balance between protecting the needs of the children and ensuring that non-resident parents have sufficient income left to meet other expenses. In most cases this will include the costs of maintaining contact with their children, although, where these costs are exceptionally high, the normal child support rates can be reduced.
We believe that parents living apart from their children should be encouraged to maintain regular contact with them. Chapter 7 of the White Paper sets out the way in which our plans will support this important aspect of parental responsibility.