Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of current measures that familiarise judges with reports prior to hearings in family courts.

The listing and management of cases, including preparation for hearings in the family court and the Family Division of the High Court, are matters for the independent judiciary. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to assess the effectiveness of the measures used.

The court has an overriding duty under the Family Procedure Rules 2010 to deal with cases justly, including by actively managing cases. This will include timetabling the filing of reports. Supplementing those Rules, Practice Direction 27A provides for the court bundle, which contains the evidence the judge needs to consider, to be filed five days before the hearing. This is intended to give time for the judge to familiarise themselves with reports and other documents.