asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they will ensure that local authorities set aside sufficient funds for public care proceedings to take account of the rise in the proceedings' fees; and whether they will prevent local authorities from raising thresholds for intervention for children at risk. [HL3117]

The additional financial pressure for local authorities has been reflected in the local authority CSR07 spending settlement, and for the current financial year £36.6 million (England) has been added to the formula grant so that councils can meet the cost of the higher fees. The changes to the fee structure are part of the Government's intention to create a sustainable self-funding system for civil and family courts. The fees will ensure that the family courts are properly funded and should encourage cases to be managed efficiently and in line with the requirements of the public law outline and the revised volume 1 of court order guidance. The implementation of the public law outline will bring better case preparation by local authorities and improved case management. Local authorities have legal duties under the Children Act 1989 to take action to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area, including through the initiation of Section 31 care and supervision order court applications where necessary. We expect local authorities to continue to operate in accordance with the terms of the statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State and to continue to fulfil their Children Act 1989 duties and functions.