Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 22 June 2026.
Andrew Slaughter
Chair, Justice Committee, Chair, Justice Committee
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that members of the public seeking to use family mediation are aware of the importance of selecting a mediator with Family Mediation Council accreditation.
Catherine Atkinson
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
The Government is committed to ensuring that all those engaging in mediation can obtain the services of a suitably qualified mediator and has recently confirmed continued funding for the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme.
This scheme gives all those who qualify, including separating and divorcing couples, a £500 single use voucher to spend on family mediation, provided that their dispute or application involves a child. The mediation can only be carried out by Family Mediators who are accredited by the Family Mediation Council.
Since the scheme was established in 2021, 58,670 vouchers have been approved (as of 18 June 2026).
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
