PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY TO BE CONFERRED ON UNMARRIED FATHERS

26 Mar 2001 12:00 AM

The Adoption and Children Bill, which receives its second reading in Parliament today, includes a clause to amend the Children Act 1989 to provide that unmarried fathers who jointly register their child''s birth acquire parental responsibility without further formality.

Although the majority of unmarried fathers sign the birth register jointly with the mother, many unmarried fathers are simply unaware of the existence of parental responsibility agreements or the fact that without one they do not have any legal status as the child''s father. With one in three children born to couples who are not married, the Government wanted to encourage the commitment of unmarried fathers by giving them legal status as parents. The Government consulted on this proposal in March 1998 and in July 1998 announced its intention to legislate when a suitable legislative opportunity arose.

Jane Kennedy MP, LCD Parliamentary Secretary, said today ''It is only fair that the same rights of parental responsibility should be given automatically to unmarried fathers who sign the birth register as are currently given to the mothers. The commitment to their child clearly needs to be recognised. I am pleased to be able to use the scope of the Adoption and Children Bill to bring about this long-needed reform''.

Notes to Editors

1. The Children Act introduced the concept of parental responsibility and allows unmarried parents to make a parental responsibility agreement. These agreements confer on unmarried fathers all of the rights and duties that a married father, and any mother, automatically has.

2. The announcement that LCD intended to confer parental responsibility on unmarried fathers was made on 2 July 1998, LCD press notice 201/98 or available on the LCD website http://www.open.gov.uk/lcd

3. The original consultation paper (Procedures for The Determination of Paternity and on The Law on Parental Responsibility for Unmarried Fathers) can also be found on http://open.gov.uk/lcd/consult/general/patfr.htm

Lord Chancellor''s Department Selborne House, 54 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QW Tel:020-7210 8512/8513 Fax:020-7210 8633 www.open.gov.uk/lcd