Family Relationships, Parenting and Marriage
2023-07-20
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The question arises from the need to understand how the Church of England is supporting family relationships, parenting and marriage.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to help support family relationships, parenting and marriage.
The Archbishop's recent “Love Matters” commission on family issues made 36 recommendations for the Church of England and 29 for the Government. They included supporting family hubs, developing high-quality marriage preparation, and building relational capability at all life stages and not just for couples who are preparing for marriage. I will place a copy of that report and the previous ones in the Library.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question focuses on the steps taken by the Church of England to provide support and guidance for families in need, with emphasis on stability and unity.
A strong and stable family unit undoubtedly provides the best environment in which to raise children. What steps is the Church of England taking to provide relationship support and guidance to those families who need it to help them to stay together?
That is a really important question. The Children's Commissioner has pointed out that almost a quarter of UK families are headed by a lone parent; that compares with an average of an eighth of families in Europe. The Bishop of Durham, who co-chaired the commission, wants to see every deanery in the Church of England offering the very best marriage preparation to all couples, and for the Church to support their relationships at every life stage.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer does not provide concrete steps or commitments from the Church of England beyond mentioning a commission's recommendations.
Response accuracy