By Robert Wilkinson

Justice Minister Simon Hughes has set out figures for the number of Child Arrangement Order applications brought by grandparents in respect of grandchildren in the last three years. In an answer to a written parliamentary question the statistics were as follows:

  • 2011/12 – 2319 applications
  • 2012/13 – 2649 applications
  • 2013/14 – 2517 applications

The figures have resulted in criticism of the government for failing to ensure grandparents, and indeed any other family members, have all the information available to them to carefully consider how best to resolve issues around seeing children.

The figures have remained reasonably consistent in the last three years despite the government withdrawing legal aid for private law children applications in the majority of cases.