Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what documentation is required to be held by a mother and father when travelling abroad with their child where the child has taken their father's name but the mother has retained her maiden name.

Border Force does not record the occasions on which British women are asked to prove their relationship to their children on arrival to the United Kingdom. Therefore it is not possible to provide this information.

It is not currently mandatory for a parent or guardian to produce documentation that explains their relationship to the child they are travelling with. However, in certain circumstances, such as a parent who has a different surname to their child, Border Force advises that they carry relevant documentation that verifies the relationship.

Border Force has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children entering the United Kingdom. Its officers are trained to identify safeguarding issues and, where necessary, will conduct checks to confirm the relationship between a child and the parent or guardian they are accompanied by.