Today I joined the Grandparents Association - a national charity based in Harlow - and handed in a petition to Number 10 Downing Street.
Over 7200 people have signed up to the campaign, which calls for the right for grandchilden to be allowed to have a minimum of ‘letter box’ contact with their grandparents - if it is safe to do so.
If successful, it would mean that children would have a legal right to receive appropriate cards, presents and letters from their grandparents on special occasions. In the run-up to Christmas, this is especially important.
Sadly, across Britain today, thousands of children are denied access to their grandparents - even at birthdays and the holiday season. Often this is caused by family conflict.
To be fair, the Government are looking at this, with the recent Family Justice Review. But more needs to be done. That is why I urged the Leader of the House of Commons today to look at changing the law.
Our full exchange was:
Robert Halfon (Harlow): May we have a debate on the rights of children to proper and equal access to their grandparents? In a few moments, I and a number of other MPs will join the Grandparents Association—a charity based in Harlow—to take a petition to No. 10 Downing street calling for children to be given that right in law?
Sir George Young (Leader of the House): I applaud the work of the Grandparents Association to achieve positive outcomes for grandchildren, and I hope that my hon. Friend will get a positive response to the petition that he is about to present. In the context of what the coalition Government are doing to strengthen the family, we of course want to see what more we can do to strengthen the rights of grandparents, particularly where there is family breakdown.
by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com
