Coronavirus in Scotland: Can parents still exchange custody under the lockdown?

Parents in Scotland, and around the rest of the UK, have questioned whether custody exchanges between two homes can still take place under lockdown.

Last night Boris Johnson revealed the public should stay at home except in four circumstances.

They are:

- Shopping for basic necessities such as food and medicine. Shopping trips should be as infrequent as possible

Parents have questioned whether they can still exchange custody.

- One form of exercise a day such as a run, walk, or cycle. This should be done alone or only with people you live with

- Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person

- Travelling to and from work, but only where work absolutely cannot be done from home

The initial published guidance made no specific mention of custody.

On GMB this morning, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove caused confusion by saying children should stay in the house they are currently in and should not be moving between households.

But he later clarified in an interview with BBC: “The key thing here is that if you want to ensure that children can see there parent then they can be moved from parent to another. It is the case that children under the age of 18 can see both parents.”

A footnote to official government guidance has been added this morning, which should offer reassurance to parents who live in separate homes:

– This includes moving children under the age of 18 between their parents' homes, where applicable. Key workers or those with children identified as vulnerable can continue to take their children to school

Join our Facebook group Coronavirus in Scotland. Whether you know of a vulnerable person who is in need of help, a local community proactively helping others or a group offering their services to those hit hardest, this is the place to communicate it.