93

House of Commons

Tuesday 24th July 2007

Public Bill Committee

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

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Note

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

Committee [17th July 2007].

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

68

Clause  6,  page  2,  line  27,  after ‘fees’, insert ‘to a person who has failed to pay an

amount of child support maintenance’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

Mr Mike Weir

84

Clause  6,  page  2,  line  27,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

The Secretary of State may only make regulations under subsection (1) when he

is satisfied that the Commission is capable of providing a satisfactory service to

parents and children in terms of its duties under this Act.’.

Mr James Plaskitt

57

Clause  6,  page  2,  line  38,  at end insert—

‘(3A)

The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that the provisions of the Child

Support Act 1991 (c. 48) with respect to—

(a)	the collection of child support maintenance,

(b)	the enforcement of any obligation to pay child support maintenance,

shall apply equally (with any necessary modifications) to fees payable by virtue

of regulations under subsection (1).’.

Public Bill Committee: 24th July 2007

94

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

38

Clause  7,  page  3,  line  14,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

Before any arrangements are made pursuant to subsection (1) above, the

Commission must ensure that consideration has been given to how the specific

arrangements sought will contribute to the Commission’s main objective of

maximising the number of children living apart from one or both of their parents

for whom effective maintenance arrangements are in place.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

99

Clause  8,  page  3,  line  26,  at end insert ‘, except for functions relating to collection

and enforcement exercised under sections 19 to 28 of this Act.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

39

Clause  8,  page  3,  line  26,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

Before any authorisation is given pursuant to subsection (1) above, the

Commission must ensure that consideration has been given to how the specific

authorisation sought will contribute to the Commission’s main objective of

maximising the number of children living apart from one or both of their parents

for whom effective maintenance arrangements are in place.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

10

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  after ‘on’, insert ‘section 7(1) and’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

11

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  at end insert ‘; and, in respect of each authorisation under

section 8(1), details of the body to whom the functions of the Commission have been

delegated and their performance in contributing to the Commission’s objectives.’.

Public Bill Committee: 24th July 2007

95

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

9

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(e)	the number of children who live apart from one or both of their parents

who are eligible for child maintenance under the Child Support Act 1991;

(f)	the proportion of those children for whom child maintenance has been

paid in the previous year;

(g)	the type of arrangement—whether voluntary or under the statutory

scheme;

(h)	where child maintenance has been paid, details of the amount; the

frequency of payment; whether paid in full or in part; and whether paid

on time.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

40

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(e)	information concerning the historic debt to be collected by the

commission, including

(i)	the total amount of historic debt;

(ii)	the numbers of individual debtors and individual amounts owed

expressed as a proportion within different bands of debt levels;

(iii)

the steps taken to recover that debt, including the budget and

staffing resources devoted to this activity; and

(iv)	the amount of debt considered uncollectable, broken down by the

reasons why.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

12

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(e)	information concerning the historic debt to be collected by the

Commission, including—

(i)	the total amount of historic debt;

(ii)	the numbers of individual debtors;

(iii)

the amounts of debt owed, broken down by bands;

(iv)	the steps taken to recover that debt, including the budget and

staffing resources devoted to this activity; and

(v)	the amount of debt considered uncollectable, broken down by the

reasons why.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

69

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(e)	the extent to which the Commission has made progress regarding the

collection and payment of arrears.’.

Public Bill Committee: 24th July 2007

96

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

82

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(d)	details of any complaints received and how these complaints were

handled.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

13

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  39,  at end insert ‘and must make a motion in the House of

Commons in relation to each such report.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

63

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  8,  at end insert ‘and laid before Parliament’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

58

Schedule  3,  page  61,  line  31,  leave out paragraph 51.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

18

Clause  15,  page  7,  line  10,  at beginning insert—

‘(1)	Subject to subsection (2),’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

19

Clause  15,  page  7,  line  10,  after ‘(c. 48)’, insert ‘shall’.

Public Bill Committee: 24th July 2007

97

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

20

Clause  15,  page  7,  line  18,  at end insert—

‘(2)	When applying section 57 of this Act the Secretary of State shall only bring the

provisions of subsection (1) into force on such day as he by regulations amends

the provisions set out in subsection (3) below, so as significantly to increase the

amount of child maintenance which is to be disregarded when calculating income

other than earnings for income support or jobseeker’s allowance purposes.

(3)	The provisions referred to in subsection (2) above are—

(a)	paragraph 73 of Schedule 9 to the Income Support (General) 1987

Regulations;

(b)	paragraph 70 of Schedule 7 of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

1996.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

45

Clause  15,  page  7,  line  18,  at end insert—

‘(2)	Subsection (1) shall not have effect until the Secretary of State has, by

regulations, amended the provisions set out in subsection (3) below so as

significantly to increase the amount of child maintenance which is to be

disregarded when calculating income other than earnings for the purposes of

income support or jobseeker’s allowance.

(3)	The provisions referred to in subsection (2) above are—

(a)	paragraph 73 of Schedule 9 to the Income Support (General) 1987

Regulations;

(b)	paragraph 70 of Schedule 7 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

1996.’.

Mr Mike Weir

90

Clause  15,  page  7,  line  18,  at end add—

‘(c)	section 4(10)(aa).’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

46

Clause  16,  page  7,  line  22,  at end insert ‘(subject to subsection (3))’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

48

Clause  16,  page  7,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(2)	The Secretary of State must, before Schedule 4 comes into effect, publish a

report, including statistical information, on the effect of using the following levels

of income variation—

(a)	20% increase;

(b)	15% increase;

Public Bill Committee: 24th July 2007

98

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

(c)	10% increase;

(d)	5% increase;

(e)	20% decrease;

(f)	15% decrease;

(g)	10% decrease;

(h)	5% decrease.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

49

Clause  16,  page  7,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(2)	The Secretary of State must publish a report on the criteria which will apply to

evidence brought before the Commission by a parent with care who wishes to

appeal agains a maintenance calculation.

(3)	A Minister of the Crown must make a motion in each House of Parliament in

relation to the report mentioned in subsection (2) before the coming into effect of

Schedule 4.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

47

Clause  16,  page  7,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(2)	The Secretary of State must publish a report, including statistical information, on

the likely actual impact of the move from using net income for maintenance

calculations to gross income.

(3)	A Minister of the Crown must make a motion in each House of Parliament in

relation to the report mentioned in subsection (2) before the coming into effect of

Schedule 4.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

65

Schedule  4,  page  63,  leave out lines 23 to 27 and insert—

‘12% where the non-resident parent has one qualifying child;

 16% where the non-resident parent has two qualifying children;

 19% where the non-resident parent has three or more qualifying children.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

62

Schedule  4,  page  63,  line  39,  leave out paragraph 4.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

83

Schedule  4,  page  65,  line  28,  at end insert—

Public Bill Committee: 24th July 2007

99

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

‘(c)	provide for the calculation of income to include any interest, dividend or

other income derived from capital.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

81

Clause  17,  page  7,  line  21,  insert—

‘(aa)

make provision to include that where there is a change in circumstances

of the non-resident parent, the Commission shall review maintenance

arrangements if the gross income of the non-resident parent has increased

by up to 25 per cent. or decreased by up to 10 per cent. from the gross

income figure fixed by the calculation currently in force;

(ab)	make provisions for supersession in circumstances in which updated

income information is provided to the Commission and the maintenance

calculation currently in force has been calculated using historic tax year

information held at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

15

Clause  17,  page  7,  line  37,  at end insert—

‘(4)	Regulations made under subsection (3) relating to variations in income do not

apply to non-resident parents who fall outside PAYE.’.

Mr Mike Weir

91

Clause  18,  page  8,  line  2,  at beginning insert—

‘(1)	All cases being dealt with under existing rules shall be transferred to the new

maintenance calculation rules no later than twelve months after the coming into

force of this Act.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

79

Clause  22,  page  16,  line  39,  at end insert—

‘32I	Freezing Orders

In circumstances considered appropriate by the Commission, the Commission

shall have the power to make an application for a freezing order in accordance

with Civil Procedure Rules, part 25, and the Secretary of State may make

provision—

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Revised 24 July 2007