§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research his Department is undertaking into marriage.[20141]
§ Mr. HoonThe Department has commissioned two research projects on marriage which began in April 1997. The first, which looks at individuals' views of marriage over two generations, is being undertaken by Professor Jane Lewis of All Souls College, Oxford and will be completed in March 1999. The second, by One plus One, is the preparation of a series of review papers on the causes, and ways of preventing, marital breakdown. This is due to be completed in March 1998.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what criteria will be applied in(a) assessing the success and value for money of the 13 projects being financed in 1997–98 in support of marriage and (b) determining whether to renew funding for 1998–99 and beyond for each project.[20142]
§ Mr. HoonThe aims of the programme are (i) to identify the types of service which support marriage most effectively; (ii) to increase public awareness of marriage support services; and (iii) to improve access to existing services. The Department will assess the effectiveness of each project in terms of the achievement of its specific aims and objectives and its cost effectiveness.
Whether or not the Department decides to continue funding any of the projects will depend on the results of evaluation and the availability of further resources.