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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 2002 | Amount (£000s) |
|---|---|
| 2as 1 | 124 |
| Asian Family Counselling Service | 51 |
| The Church Of England | 45 |
| Family Matters York (Community Family Project) | 50 |
| Family Welfare Association | 139 |
| Futureway Trust (National Marriage Week) | 31 |
| Jewish Marriage Council | 78 |
| London Marriage Guidance Council | 177 |
| Marriage Care | 366 |
| One Plus One | 341 |
| Parentline Plus | 102 |
| Relate | 2,384 |
| Somerset Family Partnership (Community Family) | 50 |
| Students Exploring Marriage (Grubb Institute) | 4 |
| Tavistock Marital Studies Institute | 497 |
| Totnes Family Partnership (Community Family) | 10 |
| Organisations funded April 2002–March 2003 | Amount (£000s) |
|---|---|
| 2as 1 | 150 |
| Aquila Care Trust | 88 |
| Asian Family Counselling Service | 50 |
| BASIC For Life | 34 |
| Bristol Community Family Trust | 50 |
| Brook in Birmingham | 39 |
| Care For the Family | 19 |
| CFP Guildford | 40 |
| The Cogwheel Trust | 4 |
| The Church Of England | 54 |
| Family Matters York | 50 |
| Family Welfare Association | 30 |
| Jewish Marriage Council | 84 |
| The Lesbian and Gay Foundation | 48 |
| London Marriage Guidance Council | 174 |
| Marriage Care | 330 |
| The Minster Centre | 72 |
| Muslim Women's Helpline | 20 |
| One Plus One | 327 |
| Parentline Plus | 62 |
| Poole Community Family Trust | 50 |
| Prisoners Families and Friends Service | 12 |
| Project for Advocacy, Counselling and Education | 46 |
| Relate | 2,206 |
| The Richmond Centre | 38 |
| The Salvation Army | 40 |
| Somerset Family Partnership | 50 |
| Sussex Family Mediation Service | 26 |
| Talking Matters | 24 |
| Tavistock Marital Studies Institute | 414 |
| Totnes Family Partnership | 58 |
| University of Exeter, School of Psychology | 43 |
| 2as1/Relate Partnership Projects | 186 |
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]
- (2) if he will request a report from the Legal Services Commission on the handling of the request for funding by Mr. Malcolm Robert Ross. [48067]
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:
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The Care Standards Act 2000 to improve the inspection and regulation of children's care services, and the Protection of Children Act 1999 which makes it much more difficult for unsuitable people to work with children;
Revised core interagency child protection guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999) and the new Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (2000);
New guidance focusing on Safeguarding Children Involved in Prostitution (2000) and a National Plan for Safeguarding Children from Commercial Sexual Exploitation (2001);
A Minister for Young People, John Denham, and a new Cabinet Committee focusing on Children and Young People's issues;
The first ever national Children's Rights Director for England— Roger Morgan—to act as a powerful champion for some of the most vulnerable children in our country;
The establishment of the Children and Young People's Unit, which is responsible for ensuring the coherence of Government policies that affect all children and young people under 19; and
Radical new initiatives such as the £885 million Quality Protects programme, Sure Start and Connexions.
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 Year | Amount 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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