'Government Can Keep Families Together' - Sky News

1:27pm UK, Friday December 10, 2010

Miranda Richardson, Sky News Online

Government must act to keep families together if it stops children ending up in poverty, in prison or jobless David Cameron has said.

David Cameron wants to defend government intervention when it is necessary

The Prime Minister pinned the blame for many social problems on "bad" personal relationships and rejected suggestions ministers are powerless to intervene.

In a speech, Mr Cameron insisted it is right to target relations between families to make Britain "the most family-friendly country in Europe".

Addressing the Relate charity, he denied accusations he is supporting a "nanny state".

He called for an end to the "defeatist" attitude which says government cannot help promote strong families and promised "thoughtful, sensible, practical and modern support".

He said: "When parents have bad relationships, their child is more likely to live in poverty, fail at school, end up in prison, be unemployed later in life.

"It would be wrong for public policy to ignore all this."

What is it that government does which is good for families and relationships - and can we do more? What does it do that's bad - and how can we stop it?

David Cameron    

He went on: "For years, government hasn't talked about families, hasn't understood the importance of support at the vital times, hasn't valued commitment.

"And that's why it's been guilty of adding to, indeed at times creating, an environment for relationships which is all too often incredibly difficult.

"If we're serious about supporting families, this is what needs to change."

He said he was "aware of the limits" of government action and loathes "nanny-statism".

"But I wouldn't be in this job if I didn't believe government - and what it does - can make a positive difference to people's lives."

He concluded: "I am not proposing heavy-handed state intervention.

"Instead, I believe government should keep itself to asking a series of simple questions.

"What is it that government does which is good for families and relationships - and can we do more? What does it do that's bad - and how can we stop it?

"What would strengthen families and make it easier to bring up kids - and how can we support that? It's by asking those questions that you arrive at our family-friendly reform agenda.

"Not laissez-faire, just leaving families to get on with it in a hostile world.

"Not nanny-state, some bureaucratic system telling parents what to do.

"Just thoughtful, sensible, practical and modern support to help families with the issues they face."