Those whose sons are involved in a split fare the worst.  

On custody, Mr Willetts said local councils would be required to put grandparents at the 'top of the list' of potential carers if parents were deemed no longer fit to look after them, or in the event of a family tragedy. In one recent controversial case, social workers decided to re-home two children with a gay couple after their mother's parents were judged 'too old'. Edinburgh Council took the decision even though the grandparents had cared for the boy and girl while their daughter fought a heroin addiction. There was an angry reaction from the public, politicians and church leaders, who accused social work chiefs of 'politically correct' posturing.  

The Tories are also considering making it easier for grandparents to qualify for childcare tax credits for the informal care they give their grandchildren, though pressure on the public finances may delay such a move.  Currently, tax credits are extended only for formal care such as a nursery or childminder.  

The blueprint to boost grandparents' rights will be part of a major family policy paper to be published by the Tories in the next few months. It is also expected to give more details of how the party plans to recognise marriage in the tax and benefits system.  

Mr Willetts said: 'Grandparents are fantastically important members of strong families and they do an increasing amount, particularly in terms of childcare. Lots of parents rely on the support they give. They also help with the family finances, where there are big flows of support from grandparents to parents and grandchildren. And, very interestingly, they are often a good source of advice for teenagers. There is fascinating research about which members of their family they would talk to about a problem, which showed grandparents often scoring above parents. But there's little or no recognition of the role of grandparents in the way the Government has constructed its family policy. A Conservative government would change that.'

Mr Willetts pointed to a study which found that childcare by grandparents saves parents an estimated £3.9billion a year. Separate research, by HSBC, found that 16 per cent of grandparents in their 60's and a third of those in their 70's give financial support to grandchildren.  

Some 27 per cent of children aged 11 to 16 say they can share things with grandparents which they cannot talk to their parents about. The figure rises to 35 per cent for their maternal grandmothers.  

Research also suggests a strong link between the involvement of grandparents and the well-being of children, teenagers in particular. Contact with children after their parents split is currently controlled by the 1989 Children Act. It gave step-parents of more than three years the right to apply for contact, but did not extend the same right to grandparents.  They have to apply to the courts even to be given permission to request some sort of contact, a lengthy and expensive process. The Tory plan may raise concerns that access agreements will become over-complicated  -  for instance, where a mother has to agree to maintain contact with both an ex-husband and his parents.

But Mr Willetts said the courts would continue to be able to decide what was in a child's best interests. He said: 'The legal framework at the moment is that the interests of the child must come first and of course that is right. But we must improve the rights of grandparents to have access to children. The courts should at least have to consider whether there should be continuing legal rights to access in the event of family breakdown. It's also wrong that only half of local authorities have a policy that families should be considered as a first option before a child is fostered or taken into care. Grandparents must have a right to be the legal guardians of the child.'

BUILDING BETTER BONES

 Did you know that women are five times as likely to get osteoporosis as men?  It's no wonder that bone health is so vitally important for the "fairer sex".

 Osteoporosis is the loss of calcium from the bones which makes them thin, more porous, and more likely to break.  It has been estimated that by the year 2030, if the current rates continue, one in every two women will develop this debilitating disease.

 The focus on bone health today is all on PREVENTION.  Current research shows that osteoporosis in fact, should be considered a paediatric disease i.e. something you start addressing way back in childhood.

Boning Up

 During childhood, and up to the age of about 30, calcium is being taken up by the bones to make them strong and healthy – so it's important that whether you had the chance or not, you give your kids the best opportunity to "bone up".  When the peak bone mass is reached, we need to do everything we can to help maintain this through the middle years.  After menopause, due to the sharp decline in the body's oestrogen levels, calcium starts to be lost from the bones – and this happens in a drastic fashion.  That is why most women are offered HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) by their doctors – to help replace some of this oestrogen.  While many factors (such as genes, hormones, exercise and diet) can affect the strength of your bones, let's take a closer look at those which you can personally influence.

Getting Enough Calcium

 The amount of calcium you need is dependent on your age and whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

 Girls and most women need three serves of calcium rich foods each day such as low fat dairy products or fortified soy drinks.  If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you will need slightly more.  Make sure you eat enough calcium during pregnancy and breastfeeding, because if you don't your skeleton will release calcium to make sure your baby gets enough.

Women who are strict vegetarians (or vegans) need to use a reliable source (with a known amount) of calcium each day, such as a fortified soy drink e.g. So Good.  Check food labels to be sure.

 Calcium supplements on the other hand, should only be taken if you are unable to obtain enough calcium from your diet.  Discuss whether you need to take a calcium supplement with your doctor or dietician.

Shaking the Salt Habit

 Limiting your salt or sodium intake, is just as important as getting enough calcium.  Some scientists have suggested that it is actually more important as sodium dictates how much calcium is lost in the urine – via the kidneys.

 Studies have shown that for every one gram of sodium eaten (the amount found in a hamburger, for example) 30 milligrams of calcium are lost from the body.  Many women eat at least four times this amount of salt – often without realising it.

 Seventy-five per cent of the salt we eat comes from processed foods such as bread and cheese, not to mention the obviously salty foods like crisps.  Use more fresh foods at meals and snacks and look for "No Added Salt" and "Low Salt" products in the supermarket.

 Easing Off Animal Foods

A high intake of protein from animal foods has been shown to increase calcium losses through the kidneys.

 One study which examined the findings of 34 different studies from 16 countries, found that there was a higher rate of hip fractures in those women over 50 years of age, who ate more animal protein.  Plant protein, from sources like soybeans, lentils, chickpeas and other dried beans, was not found to have this effect.

 Sue Radd, - APD Consultant Nutritionist and Dietician

(Used with permission)

This being London, I wondered if they may have been from Harrods, Selfridges, or Liberty’s. I imagined the delight and fun of being given hundreds of pounds of gift vouchers to spend. I had pictures of a twenty-something young woman meeting up with a friend for a shopping spree, and then taking afternoon tea in Covent Garden. Or lunch in an art gallery…

Or maybe the gift wasn’t so lavish. The street where I found the envelope wasn’t particularly special. It was a dead-end road, with an industrial area down one side. Maybe the vouchers were for just a few pounds to spend in a book-store, or Marks and Spencers. I’ll never know. What I do know is that someone was very much in love, but had to go away for a while, and left behind a gift to delight the one he loved most in the whole world.

I thought of Jesus, very much in love with us, but knowing He’d have to go away. I think in some ways He may have liked to stay here with us, to have encouraged us, healed us, hugged us and taught us, but He knew that it was best for Him to go. He wanted to leave us something to show His continuing love and care, and to show that He’d thought about our deepest needs and desires.

‘My Darlings, I’ll be back soon, but in the meantime I’m leaving you the best present I can think of, My Holy Spirit, to comfort you, to inspire you, to guide you and to remind you of Me and My love for you. Enjoy the experience. I love you so much, Jesus.’