HC Deb 14 February 2003 vol 400 cc18-9W
Mr. Flook

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Marriage and Relationship Support branch of the Department will include the use of pre and post marital psychometric inventories as part of the criteria for considering bids for LCD grants. [96499]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The criteria currently used for evaluating bids received in 2002 for funding in 2003–04 are derived from recommendations set out in the strategy document "Moving Forward Together", published by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Marriage and Relationship Support ("AGMARS") in April 2002: and also from wider Government objectives to support the family and children.

No decisions have yet been taken over the criteria which will be applied in the next MARS bid round, which is schedules from launch in Summer 2003. Inclusion of specific criteria in the next bid round will depend on the extent to which they can assist in achieving the strategic objectives of AGMARS and/or the wider Government family policy objectives.

Mr. Flook

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of, and how many, grants given by the Marriage and Relationship Support branch of the Department in each year since 1997 were to organisations that use psychometric testing on their clients. [96500]

Ms Rosie Winterton

Information on the details of Marriage and Relationship Support ("MARS") grant funding since 1997 is not held centrally in sufficient detail to be able to provide a substantive response to this question. A number of relationship support service providers who have received—or are currently receiving—MARS funding from the Department use various models of psychometric testing as part of their couple support work.

Mr. Connarty

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent assistance his Department has given to Relate to strengthen family relationships. [96735]

Ms Rosie Winterton

We have paid the following core and project funds to Relate, from the annual Marriage and Relationship Support grant fund, in the last three financial years;

£000
Core Project
2000–01 2,053 344
2002–02 2,104 281
2002–03 2,104 102

All MARS funding made to Relate helps to deliver the overarching objective of strengthening adult couple relationships—a key element of strengthening family relationships more widely. Support for relationships can make a significant contribution to reducing relationship breakdown and its adverse impact, especially on children.