Extract from House of Lords Minute 2 February 2005

Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill- It was moved by the Lord President (Baroness Amos) that it is expedient that a Joint Committee of Lords and Commons be appointed to consider and report on any draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill presented to both Houses 2 February 2005 (Cm 6462), and that the committee should report on the draft Bill by 26 May 2005; the motion was agreed to and a message was ordered to be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewith.

Extract from Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons 8 February 2005

Draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill (Joint Committee)-ordered, That the Lords Message of 2 February relating to a Joint Committee of both Houses to consider and Report on the draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill presented to both Houses on 2 February 2005 (Cm. 6462) be now considered.

That this House concurs with the Lords that it is expedient that a Joint Committee of Lords and Commons be appointed to consider and report on any draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill presented to both Houses by a Minister of the Crown, and that the Committee should report on the draft Bill by 26th May 2005.

That a Select Committee of six honourable Members be appointed to join with the Committee appointed by the Lords to consider the draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill.

That the Committee shall have power—

(i) to send for persons, papers and records;

(ii) to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House;

(iii) to report from time to time;

(iv) to appoint specialist advisers; and

(v) to adjourn from place to place within the United Kingdom.

That the quorum of the Committee shall be two; and

That Vera Baird, Virginia Bottomley, Mr David Chidgey, Ann Coffey, Jonathan Shaw and Mr Clive Soley be members of the Committee.—[Gillian Merron.]

Extract from House of Lords Minute 9 February 2005

Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill- It was moved by the Chairman of Committees that the Commons message of yesterday be now considered, and that a committee of six Lords be appointed to join with the committee appointed by the Commons to consider and report on the draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill presented to both Houses on 2nd February 2005 (Cm 6462);

That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the Lords following be named of the committee:

E. Dundee, B. Gould of Potternewton, B. Hooper, B. Howarth of Breckland, B. Massey of Darwen, B. Nicholson of Winterbourne;

That the committee have power to agree with the Commons in the appointment of a chairman;

That the committee have leave to report from time to time;

That the Committee have power to adjourn from place to place within the United Kingdom;

That the quorum of the Committee shall be two;

That the reports of the Committee from time to time shall be printed, notwithstanding any adjournment of the House; and

That the Committee do report on the draft Bill by 26^th May 2005;

The motion was agreed to and a message was ordered to be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewith.

Extract from House of Lords Minute 2 March 2005

Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill - It was moved by the Chairman of Committees, that the Baroness Morgan of Drefelin be appointed a member of the Select Committee in place of the Baroness Massey of Darwen.

Earl of Dundee        Vera Baird

Baroness Hooper        Mr David Chidgey

Baroness Howarth of Breckland    Ann Coffey

            Jonathan Shaw

            Mr Clive Soley

The Orders of Reference are read.

The declarations of relevant interests are made:

Vera Baird declared as an interest involvement with Women's Aid in Redcar

Ann Coffey declared an interest as a social worker before entering Parliament

Baroness Howarth of Breckland declared an interest as Deputy Chair of CAFCASS

Jonathan Shaw declared an interest as a social worker before entering Parliament

It is moved that Mr Clive Soley do take the Chair. — (Earl of Dundee)

The same is agreed to.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That Strangers be admitted during the examination of witnesses unless otherwise ordered.

Ordered, That the uncorrected transcripts of oral evidence given, unless the Committee otherwise orders, be published on the Internet.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Thursday 24 February at 10 o'clock.

Earl of Dundee        Virginia Bottomley

Baroness Gould of Potternewton    Mr David Chidgey

Baroness Hooper        Ann Coffey

Baroness Howarth of Breckland    Jonathan Shaw

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of Wednesday 9 February are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That Mr Andrew McFarlane QC and Professor Gwynn Davis be appointed as Specialist Advisers to assist the Committee.

The following witnesses are examined:

Mr Christopher Goulden, solicitor, Resolution (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association); Mr Philip Moor QC, Chairman, and Mr Anthony Kirk, Vice-Chairman, Family Law Bar Association; Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, President, and Mrs Justice Bracewell, Judge, the Family Division of the High Court.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to today at half-past two o'clock.

Baroness Gould of Potternewton    Vera Baird

Baroness Howarth of Breckland    Virginia Bottomley

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne  Mr David Chidgey

            Ann Coffey

            Jonathan Shaw

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of the meeting this morning are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

The following witnesses are examined:

The Baroness Pitkeathley OBE, a Member of the House of Lords, Chair, Mr Anthony Douglas, Chief Executive and Ms Susan Arnold, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS); Mrs Beverley Brooks MBE, Chief Executive, National Association of Child Contact Centres; Mrs Grizelda Tyler, Chair of Trustees of Welcare Accord Centre; Ms Angela Sibson, Chief Executive, Relate; Ms Karin Walker, Vice-Chair of Board of Governors, Mrs Anna Bloor, Member of the Board of Governors, United Kingdom College of Family Mediators.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Thursday 3 March at quarter to 10 o'clock.

Earl of Dundee        Vera Baird

Baroness Gould of Potternewton    Ann Coffey

Baroness Hooper        Jonathan Shaw

Baroness Howarth of Breckland

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of Thursday 24 February are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

The following witnesses are examined:

Mr John Baker, Chairman, and Ms Sue Secker, Families Need Fathers; Mr Peter Harris, Chairman, the Grandparents' Association, Mr John Bell, Chairman, Both Parents Forever; Mr Nigel Cantwell, UNICEF; Ms Gill Haworth, Director and Ms Naomi Angell, Legal Adviser, Overseas Adoption Helpline; District Judge John Taylor and District Judge Michael Walker, Association of District Judges.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to today at half-past two o'clock.

Baroness Gould of Potternewton    Vera Baird

Baroness Hooper        Ann Coffey

Baroness Howarth of Breckland    Jonathan Shaw

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of the meeting this morning are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

The following witnesses are examined:

Ms Nicola Harwin, Chief Executive, Women's Aid; Ms Natalie Cronin, Head of Policy, NSPCC; Rt Hon Margaret Hodge, a Member of the House of Commons, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, and Lord Filkin, a Member of the House of Lords, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Thursday 10 March at 10 o'clock.

Baroness Gould of Potternewton    Vera Baird

Baroness Hooper        Virginia Bottomley

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin    Mr David Chidgey

            Jonathan Shaw

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of Thursday 3 March are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Thursday 17 March at 10 o'clock.

Earl of Dundee        Vera Baird

Baroness Howarth of Breckland    Mr David Chidgey

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin    Ann Coffey

            Jonathan Shaw

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of Thursday 10 March are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Thursday 24 March at 10 o'clock.

Earl of Dundee        Vera Baird

Baroness Gould of Potternewton    Virginia Bottomley

Baroness Hooper        Mr David Chidgey

Baroness Howarth of Breckland    Ann Coffey

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin

Mr Clive Soley in the Chair

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of Thursday 17 March are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

It is moved that the draft Report before the Committee be read.

The same is agreed to.

Paragraphs 1 to 172 are agreed to.

Resolved, That the draft Report be the Report of the Committee to both Houses.

Ordered, That the memoranda received by the Committee be appended to the Minutes of Evidence,

Ordered, That the provisions of Commons Standing Order No. 134 (Select committees (reports)) be applied to the Report.

Ordered, That the Chairman do make the report to the House of Commons and Baroness Gould of Potternewton do make the report to the House of Lords.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be now adjourned.