Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of sanctions against parents with care who repeatedly breach access arrangements ordered by the family courts.

Where the family court is satisfied that breach of a child arrangements order has occurred and enforcement action is necessary to secure compliance, it may make an enforcement order requiring the person in breach to undertake unpaid work. The court may also order that person to pay financial compensation to another person who has suffered a financial loss due to the breach. These powers are in addition to the court’s general powers to treat non-compliance as a contempt of court, which is punishable by imprisonment or a fine.

The Government believes that these powers provide suitable options for sanctions for the court to consider when breaches of child arrangements orders take place.