Cohabitation Bill [HL]

My Lords, the noble Lord will be aware that, as always with Private Members’ Bills, I am speaking for myself, although I indicated that I expected that most members of my party would support the line I was taking. I accept that there are problems. The point I am making, and other noble Lords have made it, is that what is proposed does not solve those problems and, in fact, makes certain things worse, particularly as it undermines the status of marriage. I think that undermining the status of marriage is worse that what the noble Lord is trying to do. My sixth point is about child support, which must be the most important part of any break-up between two people who are not married. As we know, arrangements can be brought into effect for absent fathers—that is normally the case—to support their children when relationships break up and they are no longer living together. I remember being involved with my noble and learned friend Lord Mackay of Clashfern in the introduction of the first Child Support Bill some 20 years ago, or perhaps a bit less. As we know, not all that legislation is working as well as it ought to. Further attempts at reform have been made over the years, and the Government have also attempted to reform it. I think the Government, rather than going down the route of offering support to the noble Lord’s Bill, would be better advised to pursue further attempts at ensuring that what we will simply refer to as absent fathers—they are not necessarily always absent fathers—do their bit to support children. Therefore, as I said at the beginning, I regret to say that I cannot offer any support to the noble Lord.