VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Family Courts: Standards

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 25621

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays in family court proceedings on children’s relationships with their parents.

Answered by Ministry of Justice

The Government is committed to ensuring that family court proceedings are resolved in a timely manner and is aware of the potential negative impact prolonged proceedings can have on the relationship between children and their parents.

The Ministry of Justice is working with cross-system partners to improve timeliness by increasing efficiency in the system and through the rollout of the Child Focused Courts model for private law cases, which has been shown to resolve cases twice as fast as the national average. The Family Justice Board regularly monitors performance against the targets it has set for reducing delays both regionally and nationally.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim