Unmarried fathers may soon have to register their names on their children’s birth certificates.

At the moment, only the mother’s name has to be registered and it is only the mother who faces a penalty for failing to comply. Now the Government is proposing that unmarried fathers should also face penalties if they refuse to be named on the birth certificate.

Ministers say they want to ensure that when a relationship breaks down, the father’s responsibility to his children remains as strong as ever.

It’s thought that identifying fathers in this way will make it more difficult for the few who try to avoid their responsibilities. It will also make it easier to find them and claim the child maintenance they owe.

The proposals have been put forward in a green paper, Joint Birth Registration: promoting parental responsibility. The paper also contains a series of measures to protect vulnerable mothers and children, such as in cases of rape or abuse.