Oral Answers to Questions

Family Courts

1. 

   Dr Al Pinkerton (Surrey Heath) (LD)

   Liberal DemocratSurrey Heath
   1. What steps he is taking to reform the family courts.
2. 

   The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)

   LabourTottenham
   The Government are reforming the family justice system to better support families and children. We are rolling out the child-focused model nationally, developing a cross-system family justice strategy and legislating for new child safety measures that ensure that child welfare continues to be prioritised.
3. 

   Dr Pinkerton

   Liberal DemocratSurrey Heath
   I am grateful for that response. My constituent Olivia is an extraordinary survivor of sustained coercive control involving psychological, physical and financial abuse—a set of abuses that continued even after her separation from her partner, because of child contact arrangements, which left her in persistent fear for both her safety and that of her child. What steps are the Secretary of State and his Front Bench team taking to strengthen safeguarding in the family courts and to protect domestic abuse survivors from re-traumatisation, particularly when perpetrators use mechanisms such as child contact arrangements to continue their abuse?
4. 

   Mr Lammy

   LabourTottenham
   The whole House will have sympathy for Olivia. The family courts must never be a place for perpetrators to continue their abuse. Repealing the presumption of parental involvement will ensure that children’s wellbeing continues to be the court’s primary focus when considering contact. Under the child-focused model, independent domestic violence advisers can provide victims with specialist family support.
5. 

   Mr Speaker

   SpeakerChorley
   I call the Chair of the Justice Committee.
6. 

   Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith and Chiswick) (Lab)

   LabourHammersmith and Chiswick
   One of the successes of the family justice system is the family mediation voucher scheme. Two thirds of families who use the scheme avoid going to court, which takes a lot of pressure off the family courts. It started in 2021 and gets renewed every year, often at the end of the year or even when the next year has started, which creates huge uncertainty. Will the Secretary of State just say that he will make the scheme permanent from now on?
7. 

   Mr Lammy

   LabourTottenham
   I can confirm to the Chair of the Select Committee that the family mediation voucher scheme will be extended for another year, giving separating families £500 towards their mediation costs to help them solve issues with childcare and finances without going to court. I will look carefully at the permanency of those arrangements.

Reoffending

1. 

   Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)

   LabourFolkestone and Hythe
   2. What steps he is taking to help reduce levels of reoffending.
2. 

   Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)

   Liberal DemocratWestmorland and Lonsdale
   10. What steps he is taking to help reduce levels of reoffending.
3. 

Violence against Women and Girls

Family Court: Harassment of Domestic Abuse Victims

Jury Trial Proposals

Open Prisons: Policy on Convicted Paedophiles

Knife Crime Strategy

Victims Code

Criminalisation of Children in Care

Criminal Justice System: Support for Men and Boys

Prisoner Releases in Error

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