So many young people suffer from the lack of a stable start in life. The conventional family unit has been in steady decline for years. Governments have connived at this through refocusing the tax and benefits system elsewhere, however well intentioned this may have been.

Last week I visited two local projects that are achieving great success in rehabilitating drug abusers, many of whom had descended into a life of crime to fund their addiction. In both cases rehabilitation starts with teaching basic life skills, like sitting down to eat together, simple literacy and conversation skills. Many young people who get into trouble with drugs and crime have had little experience of what so many of us take for granted.

Family life is so important in fostering a civilised community. Yet it is under threat as never before. >From a rising tax burden thanks to Gordon Brown, rising fuel costs and now rising interest rates, the work/life balance facing so many hard pressed parents is getting tougher. And we cannot ignore the latest research showing that marriage offers the greatest stability for the upbringing of children.

David Cameron last week raised the idea of transferable income tax allowances, so family incomes could be protected when mothers take time off work to raise children.

This is an intriguing idea, one of many needed to bolster the family as the foundation of a harmonious society. Parents and extended families set a vital example for children which influence their choices in later life. Sometimes parents need help too.