Family feud
Sir: Melanie Phillips (Piddling the family facts', 28 November) questions the quality, independence and integrity of the research commissioned by the government following upon the Family Law Act of 1996. I am the chairman of the Research Advisory Com- mittee charged with overseeing one part of that research.
Her criticisms, which are inaccurate and misleading in many respects, appear to be based on the remarks of a disaffected aca- demic and on her own policy agenda which has involved implacable opposition to the Family Law Act since its inception.
The particular project in question is to examine, through pilot information meet- ings, different ways of providing informa- tion to those considering divorce so that the best model or combination of models can be determined prior to the implementation of the Act.
She fails to make clear that a powerful Research Advisory Committee was set up when the project started consisting, among others, of ten independent leading researchers. The members of this commit- tee, whose function is to monitor and advise upon the research, are of the united view that it is making good progress and that its work is of high quality, rigour and thoroughness.
The committee is independent of govern- ment. It will of course be for government to decide how the research findings will be reflected in the regulations leading to the implementation of the Act.
Sir Peter Barclay
4/43 Ladbroke Grove, London W11
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