Question follow-through · 76161
Fathers: Parental Responsibility
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow a newborn child's father to have automatic parental rights over his child in light of the mother’s death during childbirth.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Ministry of Justice
- Tabled
- 9 Sept 2025
- Target answer date
- 11 Sept 2025
- Answer
- 17 Sept 2025 · 8 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Justice and policing
- Probate Service: Standards · 20 May 2026
- Probate Service: Standards · 20 May 2026
- Probate Service: Staff · 20 May 2026
- Legal Aid Scheme: Mental Health · 23 Jun 2026
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Opposition Day: Early release of prisoners · 7 Jul 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
9 Sept 2025
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow a newborn child's father to have automatic parental rights over his child in light of the mother’s death during childbirth.
11 Sept 2025
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
17 Sept 2025
Answer published
The Government has no plans to bring forward legislation to grant automatic parental responsibility to a father in unfortunate circumstances where the mother dies during childbirth.In England and Wales, a father only acquires parental responsibility autom...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Probate Service: Standards
20 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency and communication in the probate service; and whether the Government plans to increase staffing in specialist probate teams to reduce delays in straight
Probate Service: Standards
20 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency and reduce delays in the probate service.
Probate Service: Staff
20 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to increase staffing in specialist probate teams to reduce waiting times.
Legal Aid Scheme: Mental Health
23 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review the level of fees payable to legal aid solicitors undertaking mental health legal aid work.