Interview: Make families stronger - Maria Miller, shadow minister for families

In particular, she says Sure Start has failed to reach enough disadvantaged families and criticises the government's recent failures to maintain reductions in child poverty.

Miller wants a "fundamental reappraisal of priorities" around strengthening families. "We want to support the pressure points families have throughout their lives." She says this is essential to keep families together and reverse social breakdown. So the Tories would introduce relationship advice for pre-marital couples, with the Local Government Association issuing guidance to wedding registrars that promotes to couples the benefits of relationship support before problems set in.

Another pressure point is the birth of a child: "Family breakdowns are most likely to happen when couples have their first child". This is why the party has pledged an extra 4,200 family health visitors, funded partly by scrapping Sure Start outreach workers. "In order to reach vulnerable groups we need trained professionals. Research from these groups tell us the most trusted are health professionals." Indeed, she bristles at suggestions the Tories would make cuts to Sure Start.