PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CHILDREN AND SHARED PARENTING (17 June 2002)

That this House believes that children are best brought up with the full involvement of both their natural parents and if possible, members of their wider family; further believes that all children of separated parents are entitled to the love, personal care and support of both their natural parents in their everyday lives unless reason is shown otherwise and that both parents have a duty to support the relationship of the children with the other parent; believes also that public and private institutions should recognise both parents of children with whom they deal and that all involved parties should seek to minimise any loss or damage caused by divorce or separation to children's relationship with either of their parents or with their wider family; further believes that the rewards of sacrifices of and resources devoted to parenting should be fairly shared between the parents; and calls for public policy to be adapted to remove obstacles to this objective.

Sponsored by:
Sir Edward Leigh (Conservative)