Question
The Ministry’s own figures show that care cases are again slowing down in the family courts; just over a third hit the 26-week statutory limit for completion. The Minister has said that the family justice strategy will be a priority for the Government, and will be produced before the end of the year. Will it include a timetable for reversing this decline relating to care cases, and will he report back to Parliament?
Answer
Of course I will report back to Parliament on progress, as and when appropriate. We want to drive down the time that it takes for public family proceedings to conclude. The 26-week statutory target is currently being missed, and that is not good enough. We have introduced measures; the Minister with responsibility for children and families, my hon. Friend the Member for Whitehaven and Workington (Josh MacAlister), is reforming some of the child social care arrangements. We believe that that will help to shorten and hopefully reduce the need for proceedings, and that will help us to deal with the demand, but the hon. Gentleman is right to raise the issue, and we are on it.20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (48/100)
The reply acknowledges that the 26-week target is being missed, calls this unacceptable, and points to existing measures and child social care reform intended to reduce demand. It does not say whether the forthcoming strategy will include a timetable for reversing the decline, so that part of the question is left unanswered. The Minister does directly commit to reporting back to Parliament, but gives no date, so the reply is only partly answered and largely hedged.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the forthcoming family justice strategy include a timetable for reversing the decline in the timeliness of care cases in the family courts? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply describes the problem (the 26-week target is being missed), says it is unacceptable, and points to introduced measures and child social care reform intended to reduce demand. It never says whether the forthcoming strategy will contain a timetable for reversing the decline, so the core yes/no-with-timetable question is left unanswered. |
| Will the Minister report back to Parliament on the family justice strategy? | Addressed | Direct | The reply directly commits the Minister to reporting back to Parliament ('Of course I will report back'), which answers the yes/no question, though the qualifier 'as and when appropriate' leaves the timing open. |