Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press release of 23 October 2014 from the Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties entitled More support for separating couples and parents, how much new money will be made available to each court.

The Government is committed to making sure that when people separate they do it in the best possible way. Too many people end up fighting expensive and confrontational court battles when they could be helped to resolve their problems outside the courts. However when people do end up in court it is imperative that they have the right advice and information.

The new package of support announced on 23 October is aimed at keeping disputes away from court, while those who end up in court will be provided with better support. The £2m funding identified in the announcement is not being distributed on a court by court basis. The funding will be used to support a new strategic approach to increasing legal and practical support for litigants in person in the civil and family courts. This will provide direct support in some local courts, and other courts will be able to access national support via email or telephone. This strategy has been developed in partnership with the legal and advice sectors and we are working with them on implementation.