§ Ms KellyTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the family policy responsibilities of each Government Department. [115748]
§ Mr. StrawI have been asked to reply.
The family policy responsibilities of each Government Department are as follows:
The Home Office hosts the Family Policy Unit, set up in April 1999 to support the Ministerial Group on the Family and to co-ordinate family policy across Government. The Home Office funds ParentLine and joint-funds the National Family and Parenting Institute (with other Departments) and runs a Family Support Grant for the voluntary sector. The Home Office is also responsible for the law on marriage, and for policy on race equality, active communities, youth offending, and the criminal law on domestic violence.
The Department of Health has responsibility for children's social and health services. The Department funds a range of voluntary organisations concerned with children's welfare, and leads on the Quality Protects programme, improving the management of children's social services. The Department also has policy responsibility for child protection, adoption and fostering, support for children in need and their families, teenage pregnancy, and the contribution of health professionals to family support.
The Department for Education and Employment is responsible for Early Years services, the National Childcare Strategy, the new ConneXions Service for teenagers, and hosts the Sure Start Unit. The Department is also responsible for parenting and relationship education in schools, involving parents in education, policy on children with special educational needs and family support based in schools. The Department also supports families through the New Deal programme, and leads on the promotion of work-life balance for employees.
The Lord Chancellor's Department has responsibility for family law and court proceedings, and for marriage and relationship support. The Department funds family mediation through the legal aid budget and funds the work of marriage and relationship support organisations. The Department has policy responsibility for divorce and information meeting pilots, child abduction, private law
78W
Possession warrants executed in the county courts of Hampshire and for England and Wales during the period 1990–99 County court 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Aldershot and Farnham 251 416 428 316 555 347 211 183 247 166 Andover 27 65 61 49 37 52 80 44 1— 1— Basingstoke 136 237 193 219 70 117 98 115 181 205 Portsmouth 622 736 560 520 454 466 488 490 842 717 Southampton 122 494 545 421 401 347 303 314 234 327 Winchester 32 75 70 36 68 52 56 29 37 35 Hampshire 1,190 2,023 1,857 1,561 1,585 1,381 1,236 1,175 1,541 1,450 England and Wales 41,779 61,139 62,439 51,333 49,222 51,096 48,587 49,865 59,701 71,256 1 Closed Children Act applications, the division of property on divorce, the civil law on domestic violence, and the development of the new Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.
The Cabinet Office houses the Women's Unit, which has responsibility for ensuring that women's interests are mainstreamed in all government policy, including family policy. It also houses the Social Exclusion Unit, which is responsible for developing policies to tackle social exclusion, including in areas such as school exclusions and teenage pregnancy. Finally, the Modernising Public Services Group is responsible for developing more responsive public services (including extended opening hours of services where there is a demand), which will also help families and people with caring responsibilities.
The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for parental and maternity leave rights and right to time off work for the needs of dependants.
The Department of Social Security has policy responsibility for benefits, including Child Benefit and Income Support. The Department is also responsible for child support.
The Inland Revenue is responsible for tax policy, including the development of the new integrated Child Credit, the Working Families Tax Credit and Childcare Tax Credit.
The Office for National Statistics is responsible for the civil registration service, including the registration of births, marriages and deaths.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has responsibility for housing policy, including guidance to Local Authorities, and overall responsibility for regeneration policy.