Vol. 771 Wednesday No. 143 27 April 2016 PARLIAMENTARYDEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDEROFBUSINESS Questions Children: Parental Separation ......................................................................................1121 Social Housing .............................................................................................................1123 Investigatory Powers Bill ..............................................................................................1125 Airport Expansion: Road and Rail Upgrades ..............................................................1128 Hillsborough Statement......................................................................................................................1130 Housing and Planning Bill Third Reading ...............................................................................................................1144 Armed Forces Bill Report ...........................................................................................................................1182 Trade Union Bill Returned from the Commons .........................................................................................1230 Grand Committee Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Code of Practice) Regulations 2016 Motion to Consider......................................................................................................GC 1 Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) (Amendment) Order 2016 Motion to Consider......................................................................................................GC 5 Limited Liability Partnerships, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2016 Motion to Consider......................................................................................................GC 6 Nuclear Installations (Liability for Damage) Order 2016 Motion to Consider ....................................................................................................GC 13 Crown Court (Recording) Order 2016 Motion to Consider ....................................................................................................GC 20 Education (Repeal of Arrangements for Vocational Qualifications Awarded or Authenticated in Northern Ireland) Order 2016 Motion to Consider ....................................................................................................GC 25 Rural Economy Question for Short Debate .........................................................................................GC 30 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldhansrd/index/160427.html The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Ind SD Independent Social Democrat Ind UU Independent Ulster Unionist Lab Labour LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2016, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1121 Children: Parental Separation[27 APRIL 2016] Children: Parental Separation 1122 tell them to go away and make a deal with their ex House of Lords directly. Mrs Thatcher set up the CSA to make sure Wednesday 27 April 2016 that parents pay for their kids even if they are separated from the other parent. If there are any grounds to the 3 pm growing concern that parents will end up paying less money to children than they have in the past, will the Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Leeds. Minister accept that the strategy has failed and needs to be reviewed? Children: Parental Separation Question Baroness Altmann: The noble Baroness clearly has significant expertise in this area, but I have to say that 3.06 pm the current system, which was set up in 2012, does not Asked by Baroness Jenkin of Kennington automatically take 20% of the payments. As I say, the point of the new system is to encourage parents to To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps make their own arrangements. It is only if they do not they are taking to prioritise the wellbeing of children use the direct payment method that they will pay the when their parents are going through separation. additional premium for that service. The Minister of State, Department for Work and Baroness Sherlock: My Lords, the noble Baroness Pensions (Baroness Altmann) (Con): My Lords, we are has reminded me— prioritising the well-being of children by helping parents resolve conflict during separation. We have doubled Noble Lords: No! funding for relationship support for couples to £70 million Baroness Sherlock: My Lords, I am sorry. It is a during this Parliament and our innovation fund has declaration of interest. I apologise to the House. I worked with around 30,000 separated families to help should have declared a historic interest in that five them collaborate in the best interests of their children. years ago I was a board member of the Child Maintenance Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Con): My Lords, and Enforcement Commission. That is all I wanted to we are all aware that post-conflict separation is very say. harmful for children and is often exacerbated by disputes Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB): My Lords, it is obvious over child maintenance payments, especially when that children who are not informed about what is government agencies are involved. Will my noble friend happening to their parents when they are separating update the House on how the 2012 child maintenance do much less well than those who are kept in the loop. reforms are working as regards payments made within What will the Government do to make this one of the family arrangements? really important aspects? Parents must let their children Baroness Altmann: My Lords, I am delighted to know, even at an early age, what is actually happening report that our 2012 reforms have been a huge success and make them part of the decision-making, or at so far. They have incentivised separating families to least give them an understanding of what the future is make their own arrangements rather than using the going to be. statutory system as a default option, as co-operation Baroness Altmann: The noble and learned Baroness between parents is clearly better for their children. makes another good point. We have been trialling Seventy per cent of clients using the service are choosing interventions with our innovation fund where we are direct pay. using the voice of the child to make sure that we include children in the conflict situation. We are also Baroness Tyler of Enfield (LD): Will the Minister working with the Ministry of Justice to make those set out how her department is working with the interventions work. Department of Health and the Department for Education to ensure that children whose parents are separating Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con): My Lords, is my receive the support they need both through child and noble friend aware of the proposals from the Scottish adolescent mental health services and counselling in Government, which will be implemented this summer, schools? for every child in Scotland under the age of 18 to have appointed for them a state guardian whose job it is to Baroness Altmann: My Lords, the department is make sure that the parents are doing their duty? Can working with other departments in a cross-government she reassure the House that if Scottish parents or strategy to support children, with a lot more funding parents living in Scotland move south, this outrageous for mental health issues and co-operation between the scheme will not be continued in England? various departments. Baroness Altmann: I can indeed assure the House Baroness Sherlock (Lab): My Lords, “so far” is a that there are no such plans. telling phrase. The Minister talked about the CSA but the Government are in the process of shutting down Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con): My Lords, all CSA cases and telling parents that if they want to does my noble friend support the idea of child contact apply to the new scheme they have got to hand over centres being made available in every local authority one-fifth of all the money to the DWP in fees. However, area to enable parents who are not of wealthy means they are allowed to apply to the new scheme only if to have contact with their children? Were one fortunate they first ring a phone line and let someone on the enough to have a Private Member’s Bill on this in the other end of the phone try to talk them out of it and next Session, would my noble friend support