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| Marriage support ideas outlined | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Pre-nuptial agreements would be legally binding and cohabiting couples refused the same rights as those who wed, under plans from a Tory think-thank. | |
| The measures, aimed at strengthening marriage, would also improve access to children for fathers and grandparents. | The measures, aimed at strengthening marriage, would also improve access to children for fathers and grandparents. |
| The changes have been drawn up for former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice. | |
| He said the ideas were "timely" after recent scandals showing the "chaotic nature" of family life in some areas. | |
| "This review is working from an underlying assumption that marriage should be supported both in government and in the law," he said. | "This review is working from an underlying assumption that marriage should be supported both in government and in the law," he said. |
| "Policy can and should be focused on stemming the tide of relationship breakdown. Marriage acts as a stabiliser and a signal. | "Policy can and should be focused on stemming the tide of relationship breakdown. Marriage acts as a stabiliser and a signal. |
| "Married couples are far less likely to break up than couples who live together without getting married." | "Married couples are far less likely to break up than couples who live together without getting married." |
| He added a quarter of children live in single-parent families and they were three times more likely to experience abuse. | He added a quarter of children live in single-parent families and they were three times more likely to experience abuse. |
| Think tank | Think tank |
| Mr Duncan Smith chairs the Tories' Social Justice Policy Group as well as being the founder of the think tank Centre for Social Justice, which produced the report. | |
| It advocates using the law and other official mechanisms to discourage "informal" relationships, and links rising levels of family breakdown to the increase in cohabitation. | It advocates using the law and other official mechanisms to discourage "informal" relationships, and links rising levels of family breakdown to the increase in cohabitation. |
| The document backs the establishment of "family relationship centres", modelled on those found in Australia, which can help separating or divorcing couples. | The document backs the establishment of "family relationship centres", modelled on those found in Australia, which can help separating or divorcing couples. |
| It is opposed to greater rights for cohabiting couples, which it argues are "not compatible" with encouraging marriage. | It is opposed to greater rights for cohabiting couples, which it argues are "not compatible" with encouraging marriage. |
| None of the ideas are firm policy suggestions for the Conservatives - and even if Mr Duncan Smith did include them in a policy group report they would not be binding on current leader David Cameron. | |