§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been abducted from the UK in the last three years; and what action is taken to ensure the welfare of such children.
§ Ms Rosie WintertonI have been asked to reply.
Between 1998 and 2000,431 cases involving children allegedly abducted from England and Wales were processed by the Child Abduction Unit for determination under the 1980 Hague Convention on Child Abduction. Of these cases, 252 were concluded either by the foreign court ordering the return of the child or by the abducting parent returning voluntarily to this jurisdiction. In 27 cases the foreign court refused to return the child; 15 cases were resolved by the court graning the left behind parent contact; 79 cases were withdrawn and the remaining cases are pending. Some cases involve more than one child.
As far as Scotland is concerned, between 1998 and 2000 the Central Authority in Edinburgh dealt with 22 cases of children who had been abducted. It has not been possible, in the time available, to obtain figures from Northern Ireland. These are being collected and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as they are available.
638WThe Child Abduction Unit ensures that the child's welfare is protected by requesting its counterpart abroad to contact child protection authorities to investigate any concerns.
In addition, the Consular Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides consular services in cases in which children have allegedly been abducted from the United Kingdom to countries which are not party to the 1980 Hague Convention.