Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has for the future funding of independent legal advice for (a) parents and (b) kinship carers involved in the child welfare and family justice system after April 2020.

In the Legal Support Action plan published in February 2019 the Government committed to increase the scope for legal aid in family law cases to cover all Special Guardianship Orders in private family law cases; and removing the means test for those with parental responsibility to oppose placement or adoption orders in family law proceedings.

To support those with family law problems who are not in scope for Legal Aid the government is doubling the funding for the Litigants in Person Support Strategy to £3m for the next two years, to ensure those representing themselves in court understand the process and are better supported through it.