Question reference: S5W-29068
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 14 May 2020
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Current status: Answered by Ash Denham on 28 May 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support and guidance it is providing to ensure that contact between children and any parent they are not resident with is being maintained throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure relationships are sustained and nurtured.
Answer
The Scottish Government appreciates that it can be difficult during the current situation for a child to maintain contact with both parents if they do not live in the same household.
SSI 2020/103 (The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020) lists continuing existing arrangements for contact between parents and children as one of the reasonable excuses for people being outside their home.
The Scottish Government maintains the view that both parents should be fully involved in their child’s upbringing as long as it is in the best interests of the child. If face to face contact cannot be maintained then the Scottish Government would expect parents to encourage contact through technology such as Skype, face time, Whatsapp or by phone.
The Lord President has issued guidance on compliance with contact orders during the Coronavirus crisis. The Scottish Government has also published information on the parent club website on shared parenting at this time.