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Commenting on the implications for families of legislative proposals and initiatives.

To order Family Briefing Papers, please use this form.

• Families and the physical punishment of children. (Family Briefing Paper 17)
  Examines the arguments for an against corporal punishment, including evidence from Sweden, the first country in the Western world to explicitly abolish all forms of corporal punishment by all carers, including parents. Summarises the Government's proposals to reform the law as set out in its consultation paper Protecting Children: Supporting Parents, and looks at the research evidence on how often parents apply different forms and levels of physical punishment to their children, the public's views on the physical punishment of children and what children themselves feel about it.
  A4 * 1-901455-34-3 * 8pp * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Long-term care and the family. (Family Briefing Paper 16)
  Considers government policy on long-term care for older people and the implications of the response to the Royal Commission on Long-Term care and whether this resolves the key questions over how to fund and organise long-term care in residential, domiciliary and community-based settings.
  A4 * 1-901455-33-5 * Nov 2000 * 12pp * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Family poverty and social exclusion. (Family Briefing Paper 15.)
  This Briefing Paper looks at the different methods used to define and measure poverty, the numbers thought to be in poverty and how the UK compares with other industrialised countries. It also reviews the different explanations for the increase in family impoverishment in recent years and the impact it has had on different family types. In addition, it scrutinises the Government's policies for tackling poverty and social exclusion as set out in the document, Opportunity for All.
  Spring 2000 * A4 * 1-901455-32-7 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Families and adoption. (Family Briefing Paper 14.)
  Relatively small numbers of children and families in the UK have direct experience of adoption and yet it arouses a great deal of emotional and controversial debate. The popular image promoted by some sections of the media, of large numbers of babies and toddlers awaiting adoption, is challenged by new research that presents a far more complex reality. This Briefing Paper looks at how and why adoption has changed, explores the changing population of looked-after children and asks whether existing legislation, policy and practice can meet the needs of adopted children and their prospective families.
  Spring 2000 * A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-31-9 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Families and the reform of civil registration. (Family Briefing Paper 13.)
  Looks at the proposals put forward in the consultation paper Registration: modernising a vital service. Sets out the existing framework for registering births, deaths and marriages, and provides supporting statistics; considers some of the options for the future development of the service and includes questions and comments from some of the professions involved.
  Spring 2000 * A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-30-0 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Family change: guide to the issues. (Family Briefing Paper 12.)
  Updates and replaces Briefing Paper 2. Looks at the changes we are seeing in family life and the various public and policy issues they raise. Draws together the latest statistics and research on family change and family policy, including the ageing of the population, changing rates of marriage and divorce and the most recent research into topics such as parenting and fatherhood. It also reviews the Government's responses to these changes, such as giving more rights to unmarried fathers and helping men and women balance their occupational and family obligations.
  A4 * 12pp * 1-901455-24-6 * February 2000 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Supporting families. (Family Briefing Paper 11)
  Reviews the proposals for supporting families with children set out in the first ever consultation document on family policy. Drawing on comments from a range of family organisations and organisations working with families, the Briefing Paper considers the implications of the proposals for the development of coherent policies for families.
  A4 * 1-901455-23-8 * June 1999 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Family finances and property on divorce - a guide to the issues. (Family Briefing Paper 10).
  Looks at how financial and property arrangements are currently organised on marriage and divorce and why there is pressure to change from a discretionary-based system. the experience of pre-nuptial agreements in other jurisdictions is reviewed as is the experience of 50/50 splits of property and finances on divorce. The implications for men and women and society more generally of the move to pension splitting on divorce are also considered.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-22-X * June 1999 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Teenage pregnancy and the family. (Family Briefing Paper 9).
  Looks at recent trends in teenage pregnancy in Britain and the explanations for Britain's high levels. The Briefing Paper explains the Government's position on this and explores the work of the several task forces which have been set up to tackle this issue. Policy and practice in Britain is compared with that adopted by other European countries and the USA.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-21-1 * September 1999 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Child Support Reform. (Family Briefing Paper 8).
  Considers the proposals for the reform of the Child Support scheme which have recently been published by the government. Drawing on recent research, it evaluates the impact of the proposed changes on long parents, non-resident parents and second families. Whilst finding much to welcome the Briefing also identifies some negative effects for lone parents and their children.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-19-X * January 1999 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Fairness at work and the family. (Family Briefing Paper 7).
  Looks at the Government's proposals to ensure that parents are better able to balance work and family life as set out in the White Paper Fairness at Work. Among the proposed measures examined are the Working Time Directive, the Parental Leave directive and extending maternity leave to 18 weeks. the Briefing Paper also sets out the Government's case for implementing family-friendly policies as well as examining the concerns raised by a number of organisations.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-18-1 * December 1998 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Families and Childcare. (Family Briefing Paper 6).
  Compares current proposals on childcare, set out in the Green Paper Meeting the Childcare Challenge, with previous policy and practice. Looks at patterns of provision and the types of childcare families use, and contrasts these with the situation in other countries. Research evidence on the benefits of childcare is also examined from a number of perspectives.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-17-3 * July 1998 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• Welfare to Work and the Family. (Family Briefing Paper 5).
  This Briefing Paper looks at the Government's plans to reform the welfare state and its likely impact on the family. In particular, it examines the contents of the Government's New Ambitions for our Country: a New Contract for Welfare and the measures outlined in the March 1998 Budget. The Government's welfare reform programme is made up of a number of very complex proposals, some of which are directly about families, while others are indirectly about families. The Briefing Paper sets out the Government's reasons for reforming the welfare state, its proposals, its plans to support families, and, finally, the issues and questions the various reforms raise for families.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-16-5 * August 1998 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• The School Standards and Framework Bill and the Family. (Briefing Paper 4).
  Looks at the measures in the Bill which affect families most directly. It considers whether the drive to raise standards will impact equally on all families, or whether some will benefit more than others; it then looks at three specific areas - home-school agreements, early years' learning and school exclusions.
  A4 * 1-901455-04-1 * March 1998 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00
• The Crime and Disorder Bill and the Family. (Briefing Paper 3).
  Looks at the measures in the Crime and Disorder Bill which are most likely to affect families. It sets out the key facts on youth offending, summarises some of the research that seeks to investigate the causes of criminal and anti-social behaviour by young people and outlines the main provisions of the Bill that most directly affect families.
  A4 * 8pp * 1-901455-03-3 * March 1998 * WAS £5.00 NOW £1.00

To order Family Briefing Papers, please use this form.