Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on operations at border control of trends in the number of women having different surnames to their children.

Border Force has a duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and
Immigration Act 2009 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All
Border Force officers undergo mandatory training and have guidance to enable
them to fulfil this important duty in an appropriate manner. Checks are
conducted on passengers arriving in the UK in accordance with the Border Force
Operating Mandate.

Where a child is encountered at the border, and it is not immediately apparent
that the accompanying adult is their parent or guardian, Border Force officers
will ask questions to satisfy themselves as to the child’s welfare and to
discharge their statutory duty. This will be done as quickly and as sensitively
as possible to avoid unnecessary delay and distress to the passenger and their
accompanying family.