Section 10 — Divorce: reduction in separation periods

Part of Family Law (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 – in the Scottish Parliament at 9:30 am on 15 December 2005.

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Photo of Hugh Henry Hugh Henry Labour 9:30, 15 December 2005

I will move on. The member can come in later if he wishes.

We believe that people should have a range of relationship services to which to turn. The strategy on the ground for those services should be aligned with local authorities' overall goals for children and families. There should be easy access points and there should be flexibility to respond to families' changing needs. However, we need action in order to get the overall framework right, which is why we are encouraging and funding the national bodies to integrate their efforts and to build the capacity of local services to deliver more effectively. We have already made available some £500,000 this year and last year to the national family bodies, in addition to the existing grant funding of some £633,000 a year.

There is a particular challenge to develop the capacity of local family support services and to provide incentives for more joined-up working. Local services are at the sharp end—they deal with the people, with the fallout and with the breakdowns. I am pleased to announce that the Executive will provide an additional £300,000 for capacity building in local family support services in 2006-07. We will consider the details of how that investment will be made, but the key message is that more money will be available next year to fund proposals by local counselling and mediation services, acting together for capacity building, infrastructure development and joint working. I hope that that will put local services in a stronger position to contribute effectively to the wider agenda on integrated services for children and families that local authorities, with their partners, should be developing at local level.