Written Question·Ministry of Justice·UIN 76161

Fathers: Parental Responsibility

Tabled: 9 September 2025
Answered: 17 September 2025

Question

Maya Ellis

LabourRibble Valley

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.

Answer

Alex Davies-Jones
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...

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