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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many family disputes involving contact with children have received government funding for mediation in each of the last six years. [141144] Margaret Hodge: The Government encourages the use of family mediation as an alternative to court proceedings in appropriate cases. Mediation can be particularly beneficial in resolving disputes over child contact. Public funding for family mediation was introduced under the provisions of Part III of the Family Law Act 1996. The Legal Services Commission began contracting with mediation services for the provision of publicly funded family mediation in March 1997. Contracts were completed in all areas in March 2000 and publicly funded family mediation is now available throughout England and Wales. The Legal Services Commission has reported that the numbers of cases for which public funding has been provided for family mediation since the introduction of the provisions of the Family Law Act where children issues were in dispute are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number 1997-1998 318 1998-1999 1056 1999-2000 4959 2000-2001 7288 2001-2002 9658 2002-2003 10,383 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

141144; 416 c290-1W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Access Children Arbitration Finance Families Family conciliation services

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk