Thank you Lord Speaker.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as your co host today, I join in welcoming you very warmly to the House of Lords. Please allow me ago introduce myself. I am treasurer of the parliamentary group for children and co chair for the parliamentary group for looked after children. I am a crossbench peer, an independent. I am delighted you could join us today for the launch of this fabulous exhibiton of photographs of fathers by Natalie Naccache. I particularly warmly welcome our Minister and I am delighted to see Billy MacGranaghan and Natasha Phillips. Ms Phillips has organised a number of important meetings around families and the law in parliament and introduced me to Billy Macgranaghan at her Westminster Debate on Fathers in 2010. It has been a great pleasure to meet Mr MacGranaghan on a couple of occasions since then and discover his experience as a lone father and the steps he has taken to support other fathers in his position. I am honoured to be your cohost this evening and I wish Dad's House and Researching Reform every success with the show and their continuing work for lone fathers and families. Given that we are shortly to have a Children and Families Bill this event could not have been better timed. Congratulations to you both on bringing all our minds to bear on lone fathers and the welfare of their children.

The Earl of Listowel