Children and Young Persons Bill [HL]

As somebody who wanted to define the word ““near”” in relation to schools and ““independence”” in relation to IROs, I suppose noble Lords would expect me to support this amendment because it deals with the definition of something much more important than either of those. I do so in particular because if a judge in the family courts as eminent and experienced as the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, thinks that this would be a useful device to have in legislation for judges in the family courts, that is quite good enough for me. I only regret that in such a provision it is not possible to put in the words ““love”” and ““happiness””, which are the things that most parents want to give to their children. If you ask any new parent: ““Do you want him to be a footballer, a judge, a shopkeeper or a builder?”” the answer always is ““No, I just want him to be happy””. Regretfully, you cannot really add that in a piece of legislation. However, it sounds to me like a very useful amendment, as far as it goes, so I support it.