On Wednesday 22nd November, Mid Worcestershire MP Nigel Huddleston called on the Prime Minister to consider legislative change to secure grandparents’ access rights to their grandchildren.
Mr Huddleston identified that while divorce and family breakdown takes an emotional toll on all those involved, the family dynamic that is often overlooked in these circumstances is that between grandparents and their grandchildren. In some cases grandparents are suddenly prevented from having access to their grandchildren due to a breakdown in the relationship with one or both of the parents, an instance which is described by some grandparents as a kind of ‘living bereavement’.
Under the current legislation, grandparents can apply for leave of the Court to make an application for a child arrangement order if they are being denied access to their grandchildren. However, this is often time-consuming and financially burdensome and even in cases where grandparents have success, the court rulings cannot always be enforced. The law also demands documentary evidence of a relationship with the grandchildren in question, which is not always feasible.
Organisations such as the Bristol Grandparents Support Group receive hundreds of letters each year from grandparents who are being denied access to their grandchildren, as well as from children themselves asking for help so they can visit their grandparents. Together with one of their patrons, Dame Esther Rantzen, the organisation has been leading calls for an amendment to the Children’s Act so that the right of children to have access to their grandparents and other extended family members is enshrined in law.
Dame Esther Rantzen has written several articles about this issue for the national press and asked Mr Huddleston to help raise the issue with his parliamentary colleagues.
After leaving the House of Commons Chamber, Mr Huddleston said: “I am pleased that I had the opportunity to question the Prime Minister directly on this important issue and am confident that the Government is considering these proposals. I was reassured by the Prime Minister’s recognition of the important role that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren and the anguish they suffer if they are prevented from seeing their grandchildren. As the Prime Minister quite rightly pointed out, when making decisions about a child’s future the first consideration should be the child’s welfare. Having a relationship with grandparents and extended family members can greatly enrich a child’s life, and by enshrining in law a right for children to have this relationship we can prevent it being disrupted by divorce or family breakdown. I have already had positive engagement with the Ministry of Justice on how we can amend the relevant legislation and I will continue working with Ministers across the Government to push for change.”