SHANGHAI – China’s largest city – is taking drastic measures to ensure children visit their parents.

A bad credit rating faces those deemed not to have fulfilled their duty in visiting parents regularly. The policy offering unhappy parents the means to file lawsuits against their children comes into effect on May 1.

Those who still refuse to visit parents receive a bad credit rating affecting all aspects of their lives including work and buying a house.

While elements of the new law - like requiring elderly parents in nursing homes to receive more frequent visits - have a core of sensible caring, any idea of replicating this in the UK is both unlikely and undesirable.

It doesn’t take into account family rifts, over-demanding parents, children who live a long way away and individual financial situations.

While you want to applaud the thinking behind such a law, enforcing it fairly here is impossible.