Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the planned investment in relationship support programmes was for 2018-19 and 2019-20 prior to any changes announced in Autumn Budget 2017; what additional funding Autumn Budget 2017 allocated to relationship support programmes; what the planned total investment in relationship support programmes is for 2018-19 and 2019-20 as a result of Autumn Budget 2017; and whether that investment in relationship support programmes relates to (a) the Department for Work and Pensions' Reducing Parental Conflict Programme or (b) other programmes or projects intended to strengthen families and relationships.

We published Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families in April 2017 where we announced a spend of up to £30m to launch the new Reducing Parental Conflict Programme. Planned spend in 17/18 is £5.91m. Funding allocations to projects/business areas in future years are decided on an annual basis and are subject to internal prioritisation.

The funding that was announced as part of the 2017 Autumn Budget, safeguards £15m pa investment on relationship support/parental conflict in 18/19 and 19/20. DWP has no plans to fund other projects than those mentioned in the budget statement, however, strengthening families is a cross-government objective and other government departments will be able to confirm their own plans in this area.