§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the scope and conditions of his proposed consultation regarding the strengthening and support of marriage and the family. [3543]
§ Mr. StreeterThe marriage task force, which was set up by the Lord Chancellor in April 1995, recently completed a consultation exercise on the most effective ways of supporting marriage. Forty eight marriage support agencies have now been invited to submit proposals for pilot projects under a programme to be funded by the Lord Chancellor's Department. The award of contracts under the programme will be announced early in 1997, and the projects are expected to start in April. The exact number and coverage of the projects will not be known until all the bids have been evaluated.