PE1120, by Brian McNair, calls on the Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review its family law policies and spending levels to ensure that greater emphasis and funding are attached to family mediation services and to providing more focused family support to children.We have received correspondence on the petition. Do members have any views on how we should proceed?
Official Report · Committee
New Petitions
Family Mediation Services (Funding) (PE1120)
Speakers
Choose an MSP to read only their contributions- Frank McAveety Lab 5
- Robin Harper Green 3
- Rhoda Grant Lab 1
The record
9 contributionsWe should seek further information. Convincing figures show how valuable family mediation services are and how much money and pain can be saved by using mediation instead of going to law. The committee should actively pursue the issue, so I would be happy for us to write to the Scottish Government, Family Mediation Scotland and the Scottish Child Law Centre to invite them to respond.
The petition raises some fundamental issues. Does anyone else have a view?
Can we also write to Children 1st and Scottish Women's Aid? I know that there are concerns about people being forced to undergo family mediation in cases involving domestic violence that has not been established by a criminal conviction or a legal process. It is important to strike a balance. I have huge sympathy for the sentiments behind the petition, but we must be careful that, in looking favourably at one thing, we do not open up problems on other fronts.
Okay. Do members have any more suggestions? Should we contact any other organisations?
We should contact the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships.
Okay. That is helpful. Are there any others?
The Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland might like to be contacted.
Okay. Thanks for that. We will await the responses.
In this meeting
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