Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he is taking to ensure the gender of a parent is not considered as a factor in custody cases.

The legislative framework which governs family law proceedings about a child’s upbringing is gender neutral and focused on the welfare of the child involved.

The court is legally required to presume that the involvement of a parent in the life of the child will further that child’s welfare, unless there is evidence to the contrary. The nature of any parental involvement will be determined by the court based on all the available evidence.