Children and Adoption Bill [Lords]

On behalf of the House, I should probably take this opportunity to wish England good luck in the World cup match that is being played at the moment. I believe that we are winning one-nil—[Hon. Members: ““Hooray!””] Even Scottish Members are pleased about that. Back to business. The new clause and amendments all deal with compliance with contact orders. They cover several different issues in respect of enforcement and I recognise that they address the matter from more than one perspective. I will thus deal with the issues that they raise in turn. New clause 21 would provide for courts to order additional contact time as a form of sanction for a breach of a contact order. I understand that the aim of the measure is to address a loss of contact, but I am worried by the notion that contact with a child should be seen as a form of punishment for one of the parents, rather than something that the child needs from the process. We made it clear in Committee that courts already have the power to vary contact orders to provide for more time with one or other parent. In fact, they use that power in response to breaches of contact orders. That is the right way in which such circumstances should be addressed, governed by the paramountcy principle and the welfare checklist. Orders made under new clause 21 would be governed by neither of those and would be far too focused on the conflict between adults, rather than the needs of children.