43

House of Commons

Tuesday 17th July 2007

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Other Amendments not tabled within the required notice period are marked thus

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

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Note

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Resolution of the

Programming Sub-Committee [12th July 2007].

Resolution of the Programming Sub-Committee

The Programming Sub-Committee appointed by the Speaker in respect of the Bill

agreed the following Resolution at its meeting on Thursday 12th July (Standing Order No.

83C):

That—

(1)	the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday

17th July) meet—

(a)	at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 17th July;

(b)	at 9.10 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. on Thursday 19th July;

(c)	at 10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 24th July;

(d)	at 10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 9th October;

(e)	at 9.10 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. on Thursday 11th October;

(f)	at 10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 16th October;

(2)	the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following

table:

           TABLE

	Date	Time	Witness
	Tuesday 17th July	Until no later than	Department for Work
		1.00 p.m.	and Pensions
	Tuesday 17th July	Until no later than	Professor Nick
		5.30 p.m.	Wikeley, John Wilson
			Chair in Law,
			University of
			Southampton
	Tuesday 17th July	Until no later than	Janet Allbeson, One
		7.00 p.m.	Parent Families

Public Bill Committee: 17th July 2007

44

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

(3)	the proceedings shall be taken in the following order: Clause 1; Schedule 1;

Clauses 2 to 12; Schedules 2 and 3; Clauses 13 to 16; Schedule 4; Clauses 17

and 18; Schedule 5; Clauses 19 to 39; Schedule 6; Clauses 40 to 52; Schedule

7; Clause 53; Schedule 8; Clauses 54 to 58; new Clauses; new Schedules;

remaining proceedings on the Bill;

(4)	the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion at 10.00 p.m. on Tuesday 16th October.

Mr James Plaskitt has given notice of his intention to move a motion in the terms of the

Resolution of the Programming Sub-Committee [Standing Order No. 83C(9)].

Mr James Plaskitt

That, subject to the discretion of the Chairman, any written evidence received by the

Committee shall be reported to the House for publication.

Mr James Plaskitt

That, at this and any subsequent meeting at which oral evidence is to be heard, the

Committee shall sit in private until the witnesses are admitted.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

70

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  4,  leave out ‘a body corporate’ and insert ‘an Executive

Agency of the Department for Work and Pensions’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

71

Schedule  1,  page  44,  line  12,  at end insert—

Public Bill Committee: 17th July 2007

45

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

‘(2)	The person appointed to chair the Commission, and the chief executive and non-

executive directors of the Commission, must have—

(a)	relevant experience of leading, or senior management in, a large public

or private sector organisation, and preferably,

(b)	a demonstrated knowledge of family policy law.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

60

Schedule  1,  page  44,  line  15,  at end insert ‘and approved by Parliament’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

96

Schedule  1,  page  46,  line  21,  leave out paragraphs 9 and 10.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

66

Schedule  1,  page  46,  line  36,  at end insert—

‘(3)	The Commission is to be responsible for ensuring that appropriate staffing levels

are maintained in order for it to fulfil its functions as determined in section 2 of

this Act.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

97

Schedule  1,  page  48,  line  2,  leave out paragraph 17.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

59

Schedule  1,  page  48,  line  28,  at end insert—

‘(c)	examine the perfomance of the Commission in relation to historic

debt.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

98

Schedule  1,  page  49,  line  29,  leave out paragraph 22.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

24

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  8,  leave out ‘objective is’ and insert ‘objectives are’.

Public Bill Committee: 17th July 2007

46

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

25

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  10,  at end insert ‘and to secure the payment of any arrears of

child support maintenance including sums owed pursuant to the Child Support Act 1991

prior to the establishment of the Commission.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

72

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  10,  at end insert ‘, and to support these parents’ joint

responsibility to ensure financial support and, whenever possible, emotional support,

having regard to the welfare of the children affected by these arrangements.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

56

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  11,  leave out ‘objective is’ and insert ‘objectives are’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

78

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  14,  leave out ‘appropriate’.

Mr Mike Weir

87

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  14,  at end insert—

‘(c)	to advise on existing systems of creating, registering and enforcing

voluntary arrangements including, in Scotland, the ability to register such

agreements in the Books of Council and Session.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

2

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  16,  leave out ‘and’ and insert ‘;’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

3

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  17,  at end insert ‘and to secure payment of arrears owed

pursuant to that Act’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

27

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  17,  at end insert ‘; and to collect debts owed pursuant to that

Act’.

Public Bill Committee: 17th July 2007

47

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

85

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  17,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

In the application of the subsidiary objectives set out in subsection (2) above, the

Commission must have regard to the choices expressed by the parent with care

and the non-resident parent.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

29

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  19,  at end add—

‘(4)	In pursuing and having regard to its objectives, and in the exercise of its

functions, the Commission shall have regard to the welfare of any children likely

to be affected.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

73

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(4)	In relation to the Commission’s subsidiary objective in subsection (2)(a), the

Commission shall have the power to use its enforcement powers in respect of

appropriate voluntary maintenance agreements.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

80

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  11,  after ‘efficiently’, insert ‘and the Secretary of State may

by regulation provide for the Commission to be liable to pay compensation where—

(a)	maladministration by the Commission is accepted, or

(b)	the Commission has exercised its power to write off arrears in accordance

with section 41E of the Child Support Act 1991, as inserted by section 31

of this Act.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

4

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  11,  at end add—

‘(4)	The Commission must publish accurate and timely management information data

in order to facilitate scrutiny of its performance.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

30

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  15,  leave out ‘taking responsibility for’.

Public Bill Committee: 17th July 2007

48

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

31

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  17,  at end add ‘, whether by voluntary arrangements or by

use of the statutory scheme’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

74

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  17,  at end insert—

‘(c)	promote a culture of responsible parenting in which material and

emotional support are given throughout childhood.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

75

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  19,  leave out ‘provide to parents’ and insert ‘ensure that

parents are provided with’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

8

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  20,  leave out ‘purpose’ and insert ‘purposes’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

6

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  20,  after ‘existence’, insert ‘and renewal’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

33

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  20,  after ‘existence’, insert ‘and continuation’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

7

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  22,  at end insert ‘and of securing the collection of any arrears

of maintenance which are due’.

Public Bill Committee: 17th July 2007

49

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

5

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

Information and guidance provided under subsection (1) must include—

(a)	provisional maintenance assessments, consisting of an estimate of the

maintenance liable if an application were made to the statutory scheme,

to enable parents to establish voluntary maintenance arrangements;

(b)	template maintenance agreements, consisting of a pro forma

maintenance agreement, to enable establishment of voluntary

maintenance arrangements.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

37

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

The Commission must, within one year of the coming into force of this section,

publish a report on how it will provide specialised advice and guidance to parents

in the following areas—

(a)	separation and divorce,

(b)	child care,

(c)	child maintenance arrangements,

(d)	the role of the Commission,

(e)	personal finance, and

(f)

housing,

both through telephone services and face-to-face services.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

67

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

The Commission must, within one year of the coming into force of this section,

publish a strategy for providing information and guidance to parents, including—

(a)	how many and what new bodies will be set up or funded by the

Commission to provide information and guidance;

(b)	which bodies will provide telephone services and which will provide

face-to-face services;

(c)	the budget for the marketing and promotion of information and guidance

sources, broken down by destination;

(d)	which bodies or programmes will be co-funded with other Government

departments and on what basis;

(e)	specific strategies for disseminating information and guidance to

parents—

(i)	claiming jobseeker’s allowance and income support,

(ii)	in employment on means tested benefits,

(iii)

not eligible for means tested benefits, and

(iv)	low level users of statutory maintenance services, targeted by

gender and ethnicity;

(f)	specific strategies for disseminating information and guidance in

accessible formats to parents with disabilities in compliance with the

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Revised 17 July 2007