Children and Adoption Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am grateful for the comments of the Minister and the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth. I say to the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth, that there is no prescription at all in the amendment and I challenge her to show me where in the amendment there is. It is only about asking parents to choose to access advice from organisations such as her own or from anywhere they like. We are not asking for that advice to come from any one place; nor do I believe that the Minister’s comment about changing the relationship between the family and the state applies. Parents can get their advice from anywhere; it does not have to be from materials prepared by the Government. Through this amendment we are trying to do something very simple: we are asking parents to accept that the first thing they must do is to focus on the child. The amendment is wide enough to enable them to do it in any way they like, getting advice from any legitimate source and coming to an agreement that suits them. There is absolutely no prescription in it at all. I welcome what the Minister has said about improving the quality of advice that comes from government departments. I accept that but there is nothing that tells parents, ““You must look at it””. There is nothing in the amendment that forces them to do anything about it either, but it would be nice if there were something that said to parents, ““You must look at this advice, you must focus on your child’s interest and you must make some sensible contact arrangements with the non-resident parent, unless there is a safety reason for not doing so””. That is what I am getting at. Clearly I am getting nowhere tonight, but I am grateful for the Minister’s comments and I look forward to receiving the information on the research that she mentioned earlier. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 1 [Contact activity directions and conditions]: