Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1253275

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	CAFCASS: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the effectiveness of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	117323
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>As an essential public service, Cafcass continues to work hard to maintain its service to children and families during very challenging circumstances. This is a tribute to its leadership and staff at all levels.</p><p> </p><p>At the beginning of the first national lockdown, Cafcass closed all its offices to the public and conducted its work with children, families and the family courts remotely and continued as far as possible to file welfare reports, attend remote hearings and progress cases accordingly. In the summer, Cafcass published protocols setting out how and when its staff attend court in person and on the use of remote video technology and in-person visits to speak with children in their home, in outside spaces such as parks, or at a re-opened Cafcass office from late July.</p><p> </p><p>On 17 November Cafcass published new guidance setting out its approach to working with children and families during the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic. It is Cafcass’ priority to see children and families in person when it is in their best interest to do so, and this will depend on the particular circumstances in each case. From the end of November all Cafcass offices and touchdown locations will be open to provide Covid-secure places to work and to meet children and families while keeping safe. Cafcass will continue to review and ensure that all these measures are in accordance with government and public health guidance.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of the impact of remote hearings on Cafcass, research by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory published in October shows that most professionals, including Cafcass staff, feel that overall the courts are now working more effectively and that there are even some benefits from remote working. However, the report also highlights some areas of concern that need to be addressed. There are clearly circumstances where more support is required to enable parents and young people to take part in remote hearings effectively, and this is under consideration by the senior family judiciary.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass continues to experience high levels of demand for its services while managing a rise in the number of open cases due to a reduction in case disposals. The Ministry of Justice has allocated an additional £3.4m this year to help Cafcass meet these challenges. Cafcass has put in place a protocol to enable it, where necessary, to prioritise cases in local service areas so that it can continue to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and families.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 117324 question first answered 23/11/2020 15:33:55 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1253277

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	CAFCASS: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what additional resources he has allocated to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	117324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>As an essential public service, Cafcass continues to work hard to maintain its service to children and families during very challenging circumstances. This is a tribute to its leadership and staff at all levels.</p><p> </p><p>At the beginning of the first national lockdown, Cafcass closed all its offices to the public and conducted its work with children, families and the family courts remotely and continued as far as possible to file welfare reports, attend remote hearings and progress cases accordingly. In the summer, Cafcass published protocols setting out how and when its staff attend court in person and on the use of remote video technology and in-person visits to speak with children in their home, in outside spaces such as parks, or at a re-opened Cafcass office from late July.</p><p> </p><p>On 17 November Cafcass published new guidance setting out its approach to working with children and families during the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic. It is Cafcass’ priority to see children and families in person when it is in their best interest to do so, and this will depend on the particular circumstances in each case. From the end of November all Cafcass offices and touchdown locations will be open to provide Covid-secure places to work and to meet children and families while keeping safe. Cafcass will continue to review and ensure that all these measures are in accordance with government and public health guidance.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of the impact of remote hearings on Cafcass, research by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory published in October shows that most professionals, including Cafcass staff, feel that overall the courts are now working more effectively and that there are even some benefits from remote working. However, the report also highlights some areas of concern that need to be addressed. There are clearly circumstances where more support is required to enable parents and young people to take part in remote hearings effectively, and this is under consideration by the senior family judiciary.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass continues to experience high levels of demand for its services while managing a rise in the number of open cases due to a reduction in case disposals. The Ministry of Justice has allocated an additional £3.4m this year to help Cafcass meet these challenges. Cafcass has put in place a protocol to enable it, where necessary, to prioritise cases in local service areas so that it can continue to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and families.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 117323 question first answered 23/11/2020 15:33:55 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1253278

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	CAFCASS: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the amount of funding required to maintain the effectiveness of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service over the next 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	117325
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice is in discussion with the Treasury about the department’s overall settlement, including funding for Cafcass in 2021/22. No decisions have yet been made.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass when established in 2001 was the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s Department. That responsibility transferred to the former Department for Education and Science in 2004 before transferring in 2014 to the Ministry of Justice. The Government’s assessment in 2014 was that the work Cafcass does in supporting vulnerable children, and ensuring their voice is heard in court proceedings, is essential and that bringing Cafcass into the Ministry of Justice would be of great benefit to the family justice system.</p><p> </p><p>There is no evidence that a further transfer of responsibility for Cafcass is necessary, nor that it would have any benefits. Indeed, it would likely be an unhelpful distraction. The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Department for Education in relation to Cafcass and the role of local authority children’s services in public law children proceedings. Ministers in both departments have oversight of the performance of the wider family justice system and agree key priorities through the national Family Justice Board.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 117327 question first answered 23/11/2020 15:39:11 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1253279

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	CAFCASS
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (a) management, (b) staff, (c) trade union representatives, (d) users and (e) other stakeholders on maintaining the effectiveness of that service.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	117326
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice monitors the effectiveness of Cafcass thorough a partnership relationship which includes regular contact between Departmental officials and senior Cafcass executives. The Ministry of Justice is represented on a weekly Programme Board held by Cafcass to monitor the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on its performance, staff and users. The Permanent Secretary, as Principal Accounting Officer, has also been in regular communication with the Chief Executive and Chair of Cafcass to discuss how services to users can be effectively maintained, and how Cafcass staff are being supported, during current restrictions. Ministers have oversight of the performance of the wider family justice system and agree key priorities through the national Family Justice Board which includes Cafcass and relevant stakeholders in the family justice area.</p><p>Cafcass, as an Arms’ Length Body (ALB) of the MoJ, employs and regulates relations with its staff independently of the Ministry of Justice. As an ALB, discussions with trade union representatives are a matter for Cafcass only.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 23/11/2020 15:43:21 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1253280

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	CAFCASS
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of moving responsibility for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to the Department for Education on the effectiveness of that service.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	117327
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice is in discussion with the Treasury about the department’s overall settlement, including funding for Cafcass in 2021/22. No decisions have yet been made.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass when established in 2001 was the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s Department. That responsibility transferred to the former Department for Education and Science in 2004 before transferring in 2014 to the Ministry of Justice. The Government’s assessment in 2014 was that the work Cafcass does in supporting vulnerable children, and ensuring their voice is heard in court proceedings, is essential and that bringing Cafcass into the Ministry of Justice would be of great benefit to the family justice system.</p><p> </p><p>There is no evidence that a further transfer of responsibility for Cafcass is necessary, nor that it would have any benefits. Indeed, it would likely be an unhelpful distraction. The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Department for Education in relation to Cafcass and the role of local authority children’s services in public law children proceedings. Ministers in both departments have oversight of the performance of the wider family justice system and agree key priorities through the national Family Justice Board.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 117325 question first answered 23/11/2020 15:39:11 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts