Last updated: 1st December 2013
Children and Families Bill 2012-13 to 2013-14
In the
House of Lords – Main Chamber
Children and Families Bill – Report stage – Lord Nash
on
Monday 9 December 2013
from 14:30pm
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Latest news on the Children and Families Bill 2012-13 to 2013-14
Line by line examination of the Bill took place during the final day of committee stage on 20 November 2013.
Amendments discussed covered clauses 89, 90, 93, 99, 104 of the Bill.
Report stage – further line by line examination of the Bill – is scheduled for 9 December 2013.
Summary of the Children and Families Bill 2012-13 to 2013-14
The Bill seeks to reform legislation relating to the following areas:
- adoption and children in care
- aspects of the family justice system
- children and young people with special educational needs
- the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England
- statutory rights to leave and pay for parents and adopters
- time off work for ante-natal care
- the right to request flexible working
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Report stage (Commons) – Report stage gives MPs an opportunity, on the floor of the House, to consider further amendments (proposals for change) to a Bill which has been examined in committee.
There is no set time period between the end of committee stage and the start of the report stage.
First reading : 9 May 2013 – First reading is the first stage of a Bill’s passage through the House of Commons
Second reading : 9 May 2013 – Debate on general principles of the Bill. Second reading is the first opportunity for MPs to debate the main principles of the Bill.
It usually takes place no sooner than two weekends after first reading.
Presentation and resumption of proceedings (Standing Order No. 80A)
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1st & 2nd Reading |
9th May 2013 |
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Committee stage – Line by line examination of the Bill. Committee stage is where detailed examination of the Bill takes place. It usually starts within a couple of weeks of a Bill’s second reading, although this is not guaranteed.
Government Bills are usually formally timetabled after they have received a second reading.
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16th Apr 2013 |
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Programme motion (No.2 |
15th Apr 2013 |
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21st Mar 2013 |
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21st Mar 2013 |
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19th Mar 2013 |
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19th Mar 2013 |
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12th Mar 2013 |
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12th Mar 2013 |
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7th Mar 2013 |
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(Day 2) am 3rd sitting: (1) (2) |
7th Mar 2013 |
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5th Mar 2013 |
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5th Mar 2013 |
Second reading : 25 Feb 2013 – Debate on general principles of the Bill. Second reading is the first opportunity for MPs to debate the main principles of the Bill.
It usually takes place no sooner than two weekends after first reading.
| (Day 1) | 25th Feb 2013 | Hansard | TV |
First reading : 4 Feb 2013 – First reading is the first stage of a Bill’s passage through the House of Commons
Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57)
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(Day 1) |
4th Feb 2013 |
THIS BILL STARTS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE 4TH FEBRUARY 2013
Bill stages — Children and Families Bill 2012-13 to 2013-14
Dates for all stages of the passage of the Bill, including links to the debates.
Bill documents — Children and Families Bill 2012-13 to 2013-14
Bills
Full text of the Bill as introduced and further versions of the Bill as it is reprinted to incorporate amendments (proposals for change) made during its passage through Parliament.
| House | Bill | Date |
|---|---|---|
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HL Bill 59 2013-2014, as amended in Grand Committee | PDF version, 866KB | 21.11.2013 |
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Bill 032 2013-14, as brought from the Commons | PDF version, 838KB | 13.06.2013 |
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Bill 005 2013-14, as introduced | PDF version, 812KB | 09.05.2013 |
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Bill 168 2012-2013 (as Amended in Public Bill Committee) | PDF version, 812KB | 26.04.2013 |
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Bill 131 2012-13 (as introduced) | PDF version, 755KB | 05.02.2013 |
Explanatory Notes
Documents prepared by the Government to explain the purpose of the Bill.
| House | Explanatory Notes | Date |
|---|---|---|
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Bill 032 2013-14, Explanatory Notes to the Bill | PDF version, 443KB | 13.06.2013 |
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Bill 005 EN 2013-14, Explanatory Notes to the Bill | PDF version, 644KB | 09.05.2013 |
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Bill 131 EN 2012-13 (Explanatory Notes to Bill) | PDF version, 637KB | 05.02.2013 |
Amendment papers
Full list of amendment papers relating to the Bill. Individual amendment papers will be replaced with consolidated lists before the amendments are discussed.
Public Bill Committee and report stage proceedings: Commons
Details of the Public Bill Committee and report stage proceedings in the House of Commons. The documents contain the text of amendments considered at each sitting and show whether it was agreed to, negatived (not agreed), not called, not moved or withdrawn.
| House | Public Bill Committee and report stage proceedings: Commons | Date |
|---|---|---|
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Report Stage Proceedings as at 11 June 2013 | PDF version, 155KB | 12.06.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 25 April 2013 | PDF version, 236KB | 26.04.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 23 April 2013 | PDF version, 154KB | 24.04.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 18 April 2013 | PDF version, 181KB | 19.04.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 16 April 2013 | PDF version, 51KB | 17.04.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 21 March 2013 | PDF version, 139KB | 22.03.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 19 March 2013 | PDF version, 124KB | 20.03.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 14 March 2013 | PDF version, 119KB | 15.03.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 12 March 2013 | PDF version, 110KB | 13.03.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 7 March 2013 | PDF version | 08.03.2013 |
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings as at 5 March 2013 | PDF version, 110KB | 06.03.2013 |
Research papers
House of Commons Library Research Papers and House of Lords Library Notes aim to be politically impartial. They contain factual information as well as a range of opinions on each subject. Research Papers and Library Notes on Bills are produced before Second Reading and, in the Commons, after Committee Stage.
| House | Research Paper | Date |
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Committee Stage Report | 31.05.2013 |
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Briefing Paper on Second Reading | 15.02.2013 |
Selection of amendments: Commons
In the House of Commons, amendments are grouped together so that amendments relating to a particular topic or issue are discussed together.
| House | Selection of amendments: Commons | Date |
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Consideration on Report (PDF, 12KB) | 11.06.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee: Selection 8 (PDF, 13KB) | 24.04.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee: Selection 7 (PDF, 17KB) | 23.04.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee: Selection 6 (PDF, 19KB) | 17.04.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee: Selection 5 (PDF, 27KB) | 16.04.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee:Selection 4 (PDF, 22KB) | 20.03.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee:Selection 3 (PDF, 23KB) | 18.03.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee:Selection 2 (PDF, 16KB) | 13.03.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee:Selection 1 (revised) (PDF, 15KB) | 12.03.2013 |
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Consideration in Committee:Selection 1 (PDF, 15KB) | 11.03.2013 |
Press Notices
Archive of Press Notices related to the Bill.
| House | Press Notices | Date |
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Children and Families Bill Committee announce evidence programme | 04.03.2013 |
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Have your say on the Children and Families Bill | 27.02.2013 |
Compare versions of Bills: Commons
The latest illustrative versions of the Bill, showing changes made in a Public Bill Committee in the House of Commons
| House | Compare versions of Bills: Commons | Date |
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Version of the bill showing changes made in committee (PDF, 852KB) | 29.04.2013 |
Impact Assessments
List of related Impact Assessments
| House | Impact Assessments | Date |
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Extending the Right to Request Flexible Working to All (PDF, 598KB) | 01.03.2012 |
House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Children and Families Bill 2012-13
Here you can browse the record of the public proceedings of the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Children and Families Bill.
Committee members and staff
Chairs: Mr Christopher Chope and Mr Dai Havard
21 Members:
- Gavin Barwell
- Annette Brooke
- Mr Robert Buckland
- Charlie Elphicke
- Bill Esterson
- Pat Glass
- Mrs Sharon Hodgson
- Graham Jones
- Andrea Leadsom
- Jessica Lee
- Anne Milton
- Lisa Nandy
- Caroline Nokes
- Lucy Powell
- Mr Steve Reed
- Andy Sawford
- David Simpson
- Chris Skidmore
- Jo Swinson
- Mr Edward Timpson
- Craig Whittaker
Documents
Reports of Proceedings
Full transcripts of the Public Bill Committee meetings.
Associated memoranda
Written submissions from outside bodies and individuals are circulated to MPs appointed to examine the Bill during committee stage in a Public Bill Committee. The following written submissions were sent to this committee.
11th February 2013
Children and Families Bill 2013:
Contextual Information and Responses to Pre-Legislative Scrutiny
Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Education by Command of Her Majesty
21st November 2012
20th November 2012
7th November 2012
7th November 2012
Draft legislation on adoption: early permanence through ‘Fostering for Adoption’ and matching for adoption
9th May 2012
QUEEN’S SPEECH – PARLIAMENT TV – TEXT HERE
New Children and Families Bill announced in Queen’s Speech
9th May 2012
Adoption, care proceedings and shared parenting changes to be introduced
The government will introduce a Children and Families Bill in the current parliamentary session. The Bill will legislate upon aspects of the Family Justice Review and the Action Plan for Adoption
DfE sets out key features of Children and Families Bill
The Bill is expected to be introduced early in 2013.
The Department for Education has set out the key features of the Children and Families Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech.
The main elements of the forthcoming Bill include:
Family Law
The key measures are:
- creating a time limit of six months by which care cases must be completed
- making it explicit that case management decisions should be made only after impacts on the child, their needs and timetable have been considered
- focussing the court on those issues which are essential to deciding whether to make a care order
- getting rid of unnecessary processes in family proceedings by removing the requirement for interim care and supervision orders to be renewed every month by the judge and instead allowing the judge to set the length and renewal requirements of interim orders for a period which he or she considers appropriate, up to the expected time limit
- requiring courts to have regard to the impact of delay on the child when commissioning expert evidence and whether the court can obtain information from parties already involved
- requiring parents in dispute to consider mediation as a means of settling that dispute rather than litigation by making attendance at a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting a statutory prerequisite to starting court proceedings
- freeing up judicial time by allowing legal advisers to process uncontested divorce applications.
It follows the Government’s response in February 2012 to the final report of the independent Family Justice Review published in November 2011.
Adoption
The key measure is:
- stopping local authorities delaying an adoption to find the perfect match if there are suitable adopters available. The ethnicity of a child and prospective adopters will come second, in most cases, to the speed of placing a child in a permanent home.
The proposal was set out in the Adoption Action Plan published in March 2012 – part of wider reforms to speed up and overhaul the system for prospective adoptive parents and children.
Shared Parenting
Ministers intend to strengthen the law to ensure children have a relationship with both their parents after family separation, where that is safe and in the child’s best interests.
The Government believes that this will encourage more separated parents to resolve their disputes out of court and agree care arrangements that fully involve both parents.
The Government will consult shortly on how the legislation can be framed to ensure that a meaningful relationship is not about an equal division of time but the quality of time that a child spends with each parent.
This was announced as part of the Government’s response to the independent Family Justice Review in February 2012. The review published its final report in November 2011.
Office of the Children’s Commissioner
The key measures are:
- strengthening the Commissioner’s remit – with new overall function to “promote and protect children’s rights” as set out in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child
- widening the Commissoner’s remit to include the functions of the Children’s Rights Director in Ofsted
- granting new powers to carry out assessments of the impact of new policies and legislation on children’s rights and underline existing duties on government and public services to publish formal responses to Commissioner’s reports
- giving more independence from ministers and report directly to Parliament – with Parliament playing a stronger role in scrutinising the Commissioner’s performance
- granting future Commissioners a single six-year term of office.
Special Education Needs
The key measures are:
- replacing SEN statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (for 16- to 25-year-olds) with a single, simpler 0-25 assessment process and Education, Health and Care Plan from 2014
- providing statutory protections comparable to those currently associated with a statement of SEN to up to 25 in further education – instead of it being cut off at 16
- requiring local authorities to publish a local offer showing the support available to disabled children and young people and those with SEN, and their families
- giving parents or young people with Education, Health and Care Plans the right to a personal budget for their support
- introducing mediation for disputes and trialling giving children the right to appeal if they are unhappy with their support.
The government proposes to undertake consultation over the proposed changes.
The Speech contained no reference to same-sex marriage.
For details of the 19 Bills announced in the Queen’s Speech, go to the BBC News website.
Notes to Editors
The Children and Families Bill is expected to be introduced early in 2013 and carry over into the third session of this Parliament for Royal Assent.
Here follows more background detail on each element of the proposed legislation:
1. SEN: The biggest SEN reforms for 30 years were set out in the Support and Aspiration Green Paper, published and consulted in March 2011. The government is piloting the reforms in 20 pathfinders, covering 31 local authorities. It announced the details in September 2011 The interim evaluation will be published in autumn 2012 and final evaluation in 2013. The work of the pathfinders will continue to inform the changes we make to legislation through the Bill. Ministers intend to publish the formal response to the Green Paper consultation next week. The Bill’s SEN provisions will apply to England.
2. Adoption: Ministers published the Action Plan for Adoption. The Bill’s adoption provisions would apply to England. The Government will discuss with the Welsh ministers whether it would be extended to Wales.
3. Family Law: The Government published its response to the independent Family Justice Review. The final report of the Family Justice Review was published in November 2011. The Bill’s Private and Public Family law provisions would apply to England and Wales.
4. Flexible Parental Leave and Flexible Leave: The Government published a consultation on Modern Workplayes in May 2011. The consultation on implementing the recommendations of Imelda Walsh’s 2008 Independent Review – Amending and extending the right to request flexible working to parents of older children, and previous government’s response. The Bill’s flexible parental leave provisions would apply to the whole of Great Britain. Flexible Working provisions would apply to England, Wales and Scotland – but is devolved to Northern Ireland.
5. Office of the Children’s Commissioner: Dr John Dunford published an independent review of Commissioner’s work in December 2010. The Children Act 2004 – established the current Office of the Children’s Commissioner. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 transferred the post of the Children’s Rights Director to Ofsted – the role was originally established under the Care Standards Act 2000. The Bill’s Office of the Children’s Commissioner reforms would apply primarily to England. The devolved administrations have their own Children’s Commissioners.
Associated resources
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Children and Families Bill – Press Release – Annex A (PDF, 18 Kb)
Quotes about key provisions within the Children and Families Bill.
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Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability
Green Paper published 9 March 2011.
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Action Plan for Adoption – Tackling Delay
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Family Justice Review: Government response
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Family Justice Review – final report November 2011
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Modern Workplaces Consultation
Modern Workplaces Consultation on flexible parental leave, flexible working, working time regulations and equal pay.
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Right to request flexible working
A review of how to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children.
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Review of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (England)
An independent review of the office, role and functions of the Children’s Commissioner for England.
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