Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the support his Department provides to parents whose contact with their children is hindered by another parent or guardian.

The Government is aware of the difficulties that some parents can face in continuing their relationship with their child following parental divorce or separation.

Under the current legal framework, a parent can apply for a child arrangements order for the child to live with or spend time with them. The welfare of the child is paramount in any decision regarding child arrangements, including decisions about the nature and extent of parental involvement.

The Government is committed to helping more parents resolve their issues earlier without coming to court where it is safe to do so. In March 2021 the Government launched the Mediation Voucher Scheme providing separating couples with children up to £500 towards the cost of mediation. As of 4 June 2023, the scheme has helped over 18,250 families to access mediation and resolve their issues away from the family court. In March 2023 the government announced on an additional £15m to allow the scheme to continue for a further two years. We expect this will support around a further 28,500 families.

The Government is currently consulting on how we can best support families resolve their disputes earlier and in the best interests of their children. Our proposals include fully funded pre-court co-parenting programmes and a requirement, in appropriate cases, to make a reasonable attempt to mediate before applying to court.