All family court judges in England will be able to order DNA tests to determine a child's parentage from September, Justice Minister Simon Hughes has announced.

The move follows two pilot schemes in Taunton and Bristol which were set up following anecdotal evidence that courtroom arguments led to delays in divorce cases, particularly where parentage was in question.

Findings from the pilots suggest the tests mean judges could be more confident when making decisions about children and, most importantly, parents would be more likely to follow the court's orders.