Dame Caroline Dinenage, local MP for Gosport, today asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Tom Pursglove, in Justice Oral Parliamentary Questions, how the Government can improve the rights for grandchildren to access their grandparents following parental divorce or bereavement.
Caroline has previously met with the Rt Hon Dominic Raab, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, to ask him to look at potential improvements on this issue. This campaign has also been backed by Dame Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine.
Caroline asked Rt Hon Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for Justice:
“Can I ask my Rt Hon Friend to look again if there are any opportunities to support grandchildren to have better access to their grandparents following a divorce or bereavement?”
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Tom Pursglove responded with:
“I am very grateful to my Rt Hon Friend for raising this issue. The Government understands the important role that grandparents often play in children’s lives – something that I can very much relate to through my own experiences growing up – and the stability they can provide particularly during times of divorce, separation or bereavement.
I know she had a productive meeting with my Rt Hon Friend, The Deputy Prime Minister recently. This is a matter that is under active consideration at the moment, at pace, and we will revert to her as quickly as possible.”
Commenting on Caroline’s Question, Dame Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine said:
“I am so glad that Caroline Dinenage has reminded the government of the tragedy that can happen when grandchildren are prevented from seeing their grandparents. I have received hundreds of letters from families telling me that this has caused so much distress both to the grandchildren and their grandparents.
Many grandparents have told me that for them it has been like a living bereavement. Some of the young people who have contacted Childline have said their only continuity of love and care has been provided by their grandparents and when that is blocked it can have very serious consequences for the children. Clearly the law needs to be changed to recognise the value of this relationship.”