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Marriage and Relationship Support

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what organisations his Department supports under its Marriage and Relationship Support programme. [47610]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Marriage and Relationship Support (MARS) Branch of the Lord Chancellor's Department provides primary support to MARS organisations through its annual grant programme. The grant for the financial year 2001–02 was £4.5 million, and for 2002–03 it is £5 million.

As well as financial support, MARS officials also offer advice, guidance and information to all providers of MARS services, whether funding recipients or not.

Information on the organisations that have received, or are to receive funding for the financial years April 2001–March 2002 and April 2002–March 2003 and the amounts awarded is in the tables.

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Organisations funded April 2001–March 2002Amount (£000s)
2as 1124
Asian Family Counselling Service51
The Church Of England45
Family Matters York (Community Family Project)50
Family Welfare Association139
Futureway Trust (National Marriage Week)31
Jewish Marriage Council78
London Marriage Guidance Council177
Marriage Care366
One Plus One341
Parentline Plus102
Relate2,384
Somerset Family Partnership (Community Family)50
Students Exploring Marriage (Grubb Institute)4
Tavistock Marital Studies Institute497
Totnes Family Partnership (Community Family)10

Organisations funded April 2002–March 2003Amount (£000s)
2as 1150
Aquila Care Trust88
Asian Family Counselling Service50
BASIC For Life34
Bristol Community Family Trust50
Brook in Birmingham39
Care For the Family19
CFP Guildford40
The Cogwheel Trust4
The Church Of England54
Family Matters York50
Family Welfare Association30
Jewish Marriage Council84
The Lesbian and Gay Foundation48
London Marriage Guidance Council174
Marriage Care330
The Minster Centre72
Muslim Women's Helpline20
One Plus One327
Parentline Plus62
Poole Community Family Trust50
Prisoners Families and Friends Service12
Project for Advocacy, Counselling and Education46
Relate2,206
The Richmond Centre38
The Salvation Army40
Somerset Family Partnership50
Sussex Family Mediation Service26
Talking Matters24
Tavistock Marital Studies Institute414
Totnes Family Partnership58
University of Exeter, School of Psychology43
2as1/Relate Partnership Projects186

All amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand


Malcolm Robert Ross

Andy King: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what sums have been paid out in each of the last 10 financial years to solicitors acting for Mr. Malcolm Robert Ross in litigation related to Mr. Ross's bankruptcy and involving disputes with Stonewood Securities Limited and its shareholders; and what sums have been received back from other parties to the litigation in costs recovery; [48064]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I have requested a report from the Legal Services Commission (LSC). According to their records, Mr. Ross has been granted a number of civil legal aid certificates. These cases relate either to Mr. Ross's bankruptcy or involve disputes with Stonewood Securities Limited. One case has been concluded; the others are

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ongoing. As all the certificates are material to ongoing litigation, the LSC cannot provide details of payments made to the solicitors in connection with the closed case.

In respect of the ongoing litigation, the Commission has not yet received final bills from the solicitors involved and so, in any event, is not in a position to provide information about sums paid out. Normally, only when the actions have been concluded and the solicitor's bills assessed would meaningful figures be available on the costs of the proceedings. If the cases are successful, an order for costs in the individual's favour could be made and the Commission reimbursed.

Most of the certificates predate the implementation of the Access to Justice Act 1999 which significantly reduced the scope for funding cases which arise out of the carrying on of a business.

Public Record Office

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much revenue the Public Record Office has received from pre-payment revenues for the Public Record Office on-line-service; and how much has been refunded. [48678]

Ms Rosie Winterton: QinetiQ Ltd has received a total to date of £278,019 from pre-payment vouchers. The refunds requested and paid by the Public Record Office and QinetiQ is £1,287.

Census 1901

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 Census on-line in-house facilities will be reinstated at designated service centres; and when the full 1901 Census Internet Service will resume. [48679]

Ms Rosie Winterton: QinetiQ Ltd. is continuing to work on the technical enhancements. Once configuring of the technical enhancements is complete, rigorous testing will be undertaken on all aspects of the system. These enhancements are intended to make the site sufficiently robust to permit general Internet access, and are being done with a sense of urgency. However, the most important consideration is to ensure that the service is re-launched successfully. The system will again be made available to designated service centres as part of the general re-introduction of the site. General on-line searches will be available as soon as practicable following testing and availability at the service centres.

Child Killings

Ms Walley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Government are taking to end child abuse deaths; and if he will make a statement. [45883]

Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply. We are committed to reducing the number of deaths of children through abuse and neglect. That is why over the last few years we have introduced new legislation, new guidance, new structures and new policy initiatives to make children safer and to ensure that there is a proper focus on children at the very heart of Government. These measures include:

12 Apr 2002 : Column 645W


In addition, the Department will shortly be publishing the first of a series of biennial overview reports drawing out the key findings of a sample of serious case reviews following child deaths or other cases of serious abuse in recent years. These reports will draw out common themes and trends and their implications for policy and practice. We will disseminate these findings widely to enable practitioners and managers to learn from them. It will be important for professionals to consider how their own practice might be developed or improved as a result of these findings to help prevent avoidable injuries to, and deaths of, children.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Catering Services

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by his Department in each of the last four years. [38919]

Mr. MacShane: In-house canteen services are provided by an external contractor. Staff pay for their own refreshments, although the FCO has provided a subsidy to the contractor as follows:

Financial YearAmount Paid
1997–98£210,696.31
1998–99£132,604.26
1999–2000£99,275.37
2000–01£200,433.96
2001–02£179,000.00 (Forecast only)

The information requested on part (b) of the question is not centrally maintained and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.



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