Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to fathers going through custody proceedings.
The Government is aware of the difficulties parents can face in continuing a relationship with their child following parental separation, which is why this Government is committed to ensuring that all parents can get the support they need to access the justice system across England and Wales.
Since 2014 the Ministry of Justice has provided over £20m of grant funding through not-for-profit organisations who provide a range of services to support individuals, including parents involved in private law proceedings.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Justice launched the Help Accessing Legal Support Grant, which will inject £3.2m into the legal advice sector by March 2023. This funding will further support local and regional partnerships to be formed, which have been fundamental in increasing collaboration between neighbouring services to enhance the advice and support available for litigants in person, including parents