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To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to release Family Court Statistics with a regional breakdown.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to release Family Court Statistics with a regional breakdown.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the interaction between child maintenance rules and family court child arrangement orders.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the interaction between child maintenance rules and family court child arrangement orders.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is limited to calculating, collecting and enforcing child maintenance payments. Decisions about child care or access arrangements, including where a child lives and the time they spend with each parent, are a matter for parents or, where necessary, the family courts.
The CMS determines the amount of overnight care actually being given by each parent, and ensures that it is reflected in the maintenance calculation.
Where shared care arrangements are disputed, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents to establish the actual level of care being given. Acceptable evidence can include a current court order but can also include; a formal written agreement such as one drawn up by a solicitor, or other official documentation such as reports from Social Services or CAFCASS. This approach ensures that decisions are based on clear and verifiable information so that maintenance calculations are fair, consistent, and reflect the care actually being provided.
DWP is working in partnership with the Ministry of Justice to ensure our respective services are aligned and complementary.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether guidance issued to family courts on child arrangements includes consideration of a child's routines, friendships, extracurricular activities and educational commitments.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether guidance issued to family courts on child arrangements includes consideration of a child's routines, friendships, extracurricular activities and educational commitments.
The Family Court considers the welfare of the child to be paramount in any decisions regarding child arrangements. In determining the child’s welfare needs, the court will consider a wide range of factors relevant to the child’s best interests as set out in the ‘welfare checklist’ in the Children Act 1989.
These include the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned (considered in light of their age and understanding), the impact on the child of any change in circumstances, and how capable each parent is of meeting the child’s needs. When assessing these factors, the court may take into account evidence relating to the child’s day-to-day life. This can include consideration of the child’s established routines, friendships, extracurricular activities, and educational commitments, where such matters are relevant to their welfare.
Decisions are only made by the court after the judge has heard all the evidence provided by both parties and any other witnesses, including experts, where necessary.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that domestic abuse that is (a) psychological and (b) emotional is (i) appropriately recognised and (ii) acted on by (A) CAFCASS and (B) Family Courts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that domestic abuse that is (a) psychological and (b) emotional is (i) appropriately recognised and (ii) acted on by (A) CAFCASS and (B) Family Courts.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 introduced a broad statutory definition of domestic abuse, expressly including emotional and psychological abuse.
The procedure to be followed in family law cases is set out in the Family Procedure Rules and practice directions. Practice Direction 12J (‘PD12J’) applies in child arrangement proceedings where there are allegations or risk of domestic abuse. PD12J applies the definition of domestic abuse used in the Domestic Abuse Act, so includes psychological and emotional abuse. In such cases, PD12J sets out the steps the courts must take in order to assess risk and ensure that any decisions about arrangements for a child are safe and in a child’s best interests.
The Government is committed to rolling out Child Focused Courts nationally within the next three years. The Child Focused model embeds referrals to local, specialist domestic abuse support services when domestic abuse is raised as an issue in the case. An Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) delivers specialist, victim-centred emotional and practical support to victims of domestic abuse. Under the model, the IDVA also undertakes a risk assessment and provides the court with expert insights into the risks of domestic abuse in the case.
Cafcass’ domestic abuse practice policy came into force in September 2024 and sets out the actions for Cafcass practitioners and managers to take when working with children and adults who have experienced domestic abuse. The policy refers to the relevant sections of PD12J, referencing emotional and psychological abuse.
Letter dated 22/06/2026 from Catherine Atkinson MP to Clive Jones MP and others regarding issues raised in a Westminster Hall debate on domestic abuse and safeguarding in the Family Justice System: improvements to training, guidance for judges and family court practitioners on the needs of neurodivergent and SEND individuals in family courts, Local government changes impacting funding for domestic abuse support organisations, how the voices of children can be heard in the family court system, support for the role of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers, and how to support a cultural shift towards tackling domestic abuse in the family courts. 4p.
Letter dated 22/06/2026 from Catherine Atkinson MP to Clive Jones MP and others regarding issues raised in a Westminster Hall debate on domestic abuse and safeguarding in the Family Justice System: improvements to training, guidance for judges and family court practitioners on the needs of neurodivergent and SEND individuals in...
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the rollout of Child Focussed Courts will be completed in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the rollout of Child Focussed Courts will be completed in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
The Child Focused Model is currently operating in 10 of 42 Family Court areas across England and Wales, with Hampshire and the Isle of Wight most recently starting the model on 6 January 2026. The Deputy Prime Minister has committed to national rollout of the model over the next three years, including expansion across eight areas in the North East, North West and Midlands this financial year.
National rollout will be delivered through a phased approach so that all areas, including Oxfordshire and Berkshire, are operating the model by 2029. Launch dates in court areas beyond those already announced will be agreed with operational partners in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure that domestic abuse that is psychological or emotional in nature is recognised and acted on by a) CAFCASS and b) Family Courts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure that domestic abuse that is psychological or emotional in nature is recognised and acted on by a) CAFCASS and b) Family Courts.
Motion that this House has considered children in child contact arrangements. Agreed to on question.
Motion that this House has considered children in child contact arrangements. Agreed to on question.
I beg to move,
That this House has considered children in child contact arrangements.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison, and to lead a debate on putting children first in child contact arrangements, an issue that is of great importance to me, to my constituents and to...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered children in child contact arrangements.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison, and to lead a debate on putting children first in child contact arrangements, an issue that is of great importance to me, to my constituents and to...
I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate on a very complex issue. There were elements of the Courts and Tribunals Bill that were impossible to support, but it also sought to address the issue of a child’s consent in contact arrangements and, importantly, the need for the child’s...
I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate on a very complex issue. There were elements of the Courts and Tribunals Bill that were impossible to support, but it also sought to address the issue of a child’s consent in contact arrangements and, importantly, the need for the child’s...
I completely agree that the child’s voice must be heard and is too often overlooked.
Some of these so-called experts lack proper qualifications and are not regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Changes proposed in 2025 to address the issue of unregulated psychologists have been criticised as too weak...
I completely agree that the child’s voice must be heard and is too often overlooked.
Some of these so-called experts lack proper qualifications and are not regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Changes proposed in 2025 to address the issue of unregulated psychologists have been criticised as too weak...
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House and for mentioning the so-called experts. We know that accusations of so-called parental alienation are too often used against mothers who are trying to protect their children, but because so few family law cases are publicly available, we...
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House and for mentioning the so-called experts. We know that accusations of so-called parental alienation are too often used against mothers who are trying to protect their children, but because so few family law cases are publicly available, we...
I thank my hon. Friend for her work on the issue. I completely agree that unfortunately we are seeing far, far too many mothers who are disbelieved and have had their children removed from them without any basis for doing so at all. Lives are being destroyed.
If a parent complains,...
I thank my hon. Friend for her work on the issue. I completely agree that unfortunately we are seeing far, far too many mothers who are disbelieved and have had their children removed from them without any basis for doing so at all. Lives are being destroyed.
If a parent complains,...
I completely endorse the hon. Lady’s calls. I have talked about how we need reform to the family courts. Will she support my calls for the Government to support family contact centres? In my constituency, the Woking Family Contact Centre has been run by volunteers for 25 years, which is...
I completely endorse the hon. Lady’s calls. I have talked about how we need reform to the family courts. Will she support my calls for the Government to support family contact centres? In my constituency, the Woking Family Contact Centre has been run by volunteers for 25 years, which is...
I have raised with Baroness Levitt not only the lack of access to child contact centres but the cost of access. It appears that many of them are unregulated, so I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that issue.
To conclude, everybody wants to see the family justice system evolve to...
I have raised with Baroness Levitt not only the lack of access to child contact centres but the cost of access. It appears that many of them are unregulated, so I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that issue.
To conclude, everybody wants to see the family justice system evolve to...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) and commend her for securing such an important debate.
I want to start by reflecting on the stories that she shared—stories of children feeling unheard and of...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) and commend her for securing such an important debate.
I want to start by reflecting on the stories that she shared—stories of children feeling unheard and of...
It is true that the Government do not recognise parental alienation and the syndrome, but courts too often do. In fact, a report released just yesterday by the campaign group Right to Equality that analysed language used in family court judgments found that over 70% of those judgments used victim-blaming...
It is true that the Government do not recognise parental alienation and the syndrome, but courts too often do. In fact, a report released just yesterday by the campaign group Right to Equality that analysed language used in family court judgments found that over 70% of those judgments used victim-blaming...
I was discussing that report with Baroness Levitt yesterday, so it is one that I am conscious of and one that we will be looking at.
The Family Justice Council has published guidance to assist courts in handling cases of this nature. Importantly, the guidance recognises that there can be entirely...
I was discussing that report with Baroness Levitt yesterday, so it is one that I am conscious of and one that we will be looking at.
The Family Justice Council has published guidance to assist courts in handling cases of this nature. Importantly, the guidance recognises that there can be entirely...
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership's report entitled Child Safeguarding Practice Review: Sara Sharif, published on 13 November 2025, whether his Department plans to review the accessibility of family courts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership's report entitled Child Safeguarding Practice Review: Sara Sharif, published on 13 November 2025, whether his Department plans to review the accessibility of family courts.
What happened to Sara Sharif was a tragedy. Whilst Sara’s father and stepmother are rightly serving life sentences for their appalling crimes, it is clear that our response must not stop there.
We recognise the challenges raised by the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review. The Ministry of Justice is working with partners across the family justice system to enable the Family Courts to deliver the right outcomes for children. A key element of this Government’s reform of private law children cases is the national rollout of the Child Focused Courts model in certain private law proceedings relating to children. The model improves coordination between the Family Court and agencies, including local authorities and the police, particularly in cases involving domestic abuse. The model frontloads information gathering and risk assessment through the introduction of the Child Impact Report which presents an assessment of issues through engagement with the parties, the children, and relevant agencies.