While Minister Josh Simons resigned today over transparency concerns around Labour Together, the Ministry of Justice quietly published data showing a different kind of accountability crisis playing out in family courts across England and Wales.

Parental responsibility orders surged by an extraordinary 10,960% in 2023, jumping from just 5 cases to 553 cases in a single year. (Source: Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics -- Family_Court_Tables__Jul-Sep_2024_ -- Table_3)

The contrast is striking. Politicians resign over questions of responsibility and transparency, yet family courts are issuing orders at unprecedented rates to force parents to take legal responsibility for their children. These orders typically arise when unmarried fathers seek parental rights, or when local authorities need to clarify who has legal responsibility for a child's welfare.

The scale of this increase suggests something fundamental shifted in how family courts operated in 2023. Whether driven by changes in legal guidance, social services intervention, or simply better record-keeping, the jump represents thousands more families navigating complex questions of who bears responsibility for children's lives.

This isn't just paperwork. Parental responsibility orders carry real weight. They determine who can make decisions about a child's education, medical treatment, and where they live. They affect inheritance rights and the ability to take a child abroad. When courts issue these orders, they're reshaping family structures with legal force.

The timing is particularly notable. As the government approves a £1bn defence helicopter deal, the justice system is quietly processing hundreds more cases about the most basic form of responsibility: caring for children.

The 2023 surge follows years of relatively stable numbers. For perspective, if parental responsibility orders had grown at the same rate as the overall population, you'd expect maybe 6 or 7 cases, not 553. Something changed dramatically in how these cases reached the courts.

What makes this data particularly striking is its contrast with political accountability. Ministers can resign when transparency becomes uncomfortable. Parents facing family court proceedings don't have that luxury. The legal system compels them to accept responsibility whether they want it or not.

The numbers suggest family courts became far more active in defining parental responsibility in 2023. Whether that represents better protection for children or increased state intervention in family life depends on your perspective. What's clear is that while politicians debate accountability in Westminster, family courts are enforcing it with unprecedented frequency.