UK Government to require joint birth registration - fathers recognised at last!

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20 years after the Children Act introduced into UK law deliberate and direct discrimination against unmarried fathers, it looks like FINALLY the government has accepted that children need two parents. Until now, unmarried mothers acquired parental responsibility on birth, unmarried fathers only acquired it if the mother chose to tell them about the child and if the mother chose to allow them to jointly register the birth. Thus the woman had a veto over whether the father was involved or not. It appears from the latest government announcement that this is to change (although no date is set). "7.10 Encouraging parents to help provide for their children is central to achieving our goal of eradicating child poverty. One of the starting points of responsible parenthood should be the duty to acknowledge your child. In June 2008 we announced our intention to promote child welfare and parental responsibility by requiring unmarried parents to jointly register the birth of their children. This is a move away from the current position where unmarried fathers have no automatic right to register the birth of their children and thereby acquire parental responsibility and there is no requirement to record the father’s identity or details in the birth register. 7.11 This position can no longer continue. We recognise that children have a right to know, and to be formally acknowledged and to be supported by, both parents, whether or not those parents live together or are involved in a relationship with each other. Joint registration will allow unmarried fathers to acquire parental responsibility and have the opportunity to fulfil their role as parents." http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/raisingexpectations/chapter7.pdf Do you agree this is well overdue? Do you agree this should automatically be back-dated for all fathers? How could this be enforced?