To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been allocated to fund specialist relationship counselling services for families with disabled children as referred to in the Green Paper, “Support for All: the Families and Relationships” in the last 12 months. (318284)

The funding for the proposals outlined in “Support for All: the Families and Relationships” Green Paper has been allocated from current budgets. We have provided over £3.5 million of strategic funding to a range of third sector organisations, such as Relate, Marriage Care and the Asian Family Counselling Service, who provide relationship counselling for families, including those with disabled children. Over the past year, we have also provided funding of £3.1 million to support families through the recession, including £1 million to Relate for more face-to-face and telephone counselling to families, again including those with disabled children.

In addition, around £400,000 for 2010-11 has been re-prioritised from the current Aiming High for Disabled Children budget to provide specialist relationship counselling services for families with disabled children and to enhance helpline support for these families through third sector organisations.