House of Commons Amendments

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

123

House of Commons

Tuesday 9th October 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

Note

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

Committee [17th July 2007].

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’.

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

Public Bill Committee: 9th October 2007
124

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

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).’.

Mike Weir

125

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

‘(2)
In section 4 of the Child Support Act 1991 (Child support and maintenance), for

subsection (10) substitute—


“No application may be made at any time under this section with respect to a

qualifying child or any qualifying children if there is in force a maintenance order

in respect of that child or those children and the person who is, at that time, the

non-resident parent.”.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

46

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

Public Bill Committee: 9th October 2007
125

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

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;

(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.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

115

Schedule  4,  page  63,  line  6,  leave out paragraph 2.

Public Bill Committee: 9th October 2007
126

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

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.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

116

Schedule  4,  page  64,  line  38,  leave out paragraphs 6, 7 and 8.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

117

Schedule  4,  page  65,  line  15,  at end insert—

‘8A
In paragraph 7(4) (the amount of decrease for one child, where the non-

resident parent has care of the child overnight) omit the first two lines of the

table.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

83

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

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

other income derived from capital.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

118

Clause  17,  page  7,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(aa)
make provision that where there is a change in circumstances of the non-

resident parent, the Commission shall make a fresh assessment if the

gross income position of the non-resident parent increases or decreases

by 10 per cent. from the gross income figure fixed by the calculation

currently in force.’.

Public Bill Committee: 9th October 2007
127

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

124

Clause  17,  page  7,  line  32,  at end 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 greater than 25 per cent. or decreased by greater than 10 per cent. from

the gross income figure fixed by the calculation currently in force;

(ab)
make provision 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.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

119

Clause  18,  page  8,  line  2,  leave out lines 2 to 5 and insert—

‘(1)
Schedule 5 (which makes provision for, and in connection with, enabling the

Commission to require existing cases to transfer to the new maintenance

calculation rules or leave the statutory scheme, so far as future accrual of liability

is concerned) shall have effect subject to subsections (2) and (3) below.

(2)
Before Schedule 5 shall come into effect, the Secretary of State must publish a

report to the House giving a detailed report on how the Commission intends to

arrange the transfer of cases to the new rules; the consequences for parents and

children where there is an existing child support application or assessment/

calculation; and the staffing and IT resources which will be made available to

support the process.

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

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

Schedule 5.’.

Public Bill Committee: 9th October 2007
128

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

100

Clause  19,  page  8,  line  15,  after ‘it’, insert—

‘(aa)
for that method of payment not to be used in any case where that person

has not failed to make a payment of child maintenance;’.

Mr James Plaskitt

126

Clause  19,  page  8,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(4A)
On an appeal under regulations made under subsection (4)(b) the court or (as the

case may be) the sheriff shall not question the maintenance calculation by

reference to which the order under section 31 would be made.

(4B)
Regulations under subsection (4)(b) may include—

(a)
provision with respect to the period within which a right of appeal under

the regulations may be exercised;

(b)
provision with respect to the powers of a magistrates’ court (or, in

Scotland, of the sheriff) in relation to an appeal under the regulations.’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

101

Clause  21,  page  9,  line  15,  after ‘current’, insert ‘or deposit’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

102

Clause  21,  page  9,  line  38,  after ‘current’, insert ‘or deposit’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

103

Clause  21,  page  11,  line  29,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

122

Clause  21,  page  11,  leave out line 32 and insert—

‘(a)
if he is aggrieved by the making of an order under section 32A or by the

terms of such an order’.

Public Bill Committee: 9th October 2007
129

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, continued

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

104

Clause  22,  page  16,  line  10,  after ‘section’, insert ‘32D or’.

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Harper

Mr Stewart Jackson

105

Clause  22,  page  16,  line  14,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

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—

(a)
about the cases and circumstances in which the power under subsection

(1) is exercisable, including provision restricting the exercise of that

power by virtue of a change of circumstance;

(b)
about the procedure in relation to the exercise of such power under

subsection (1); and

(c)
for any person affected to have a right of appeal to the High Court within

seven days of the making of the order.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

123

Clause  23,  page  17,  line  4,  leave out from ‘maintenance’ to end of line 5 and add

‘the Commission shall give 14 days notice of an intention to make an administrative

liability order and shall provide to the person who has failed to pay an amount of child

support maintenance an account breakdown showing how the amount claimed has alleged

to have become due and thereafter.’.

Danny Alexander

Paul Rowen

123A


Clause  23,  page  17,  line  5,  at end insert—


‘The Commission shall give 14 days notice of an intention to make an

administrative liability order and shall provide to the person who has failed to pay

an amount of child support maintenance an account breakdown showing how the

amount claimed has alleged to have become due and thereafter.’.