Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what avenues are available to members of the public wishing to challenge a police decision to refer a serious dog attack to a local authority dog warden.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Any member of the public can use the statutory police complaints system to express dissatisfaction with the actions of the police or a police officer, providing they have been directly affected by those actions or lack of action.
They can do so by making a complaint to the police force directly or via the portal on the website of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which also includes more information on the police complaints system.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action can be taken by his Department where there is evidence that a self-employed parent has deliberately understated their income to reduce their child maintenance liability.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid. Information about a self-employed paying parent's income is normally obtained from HMRC.
Every year the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) conduct a review to determine what should be paid for the forthcoming year and gather new earnings information from HMRC. If a paying parent reports a change in their earnings, or challenges the income provided, CMS require a fully complete and verified Self-Assessment Tax Return, of a more current tax year than that provided previously by HMRC.
Where there is evidence that income has not been fully reflected in a child maintenance calculation, either parent may apply for a variation. Cases involving complex income, suspected misrepresentation or fraudulent behaviour may be referred to the CMS Financial Investigation Unit, which can obtain information from financial institutions to verify income and assets. Where discrepancies are identified, the CMS can recalculate maintenance and implement the correct liability in accordance with legislation.
This approach helps ensure that child maintenance calculations are based on accurate income information and that paying parents meet their responsibilities towards their children.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that self-employed parents accurately declare income for the purposes of calculating child maintenance payments.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid. Information about a self-employed paying parent's income is normally obtained from HMRC.
Every year the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) conduct a review to determine what should be paid for the forthcoming year and gather new earnings information from HMRC. If a paying parent reports a change in their earnings, or challenges the income provided, CMS require a fully complete and verified Self-Assessment Tax Return, of a more current tax year than that provided previously by HMRC.
Where there is evidence that income has not been fully reflected in a child maintenance calculation, either parent may apply for a variation. Cases involving complex income, suspected misrepresentation or fraudulent behaviour may be referred to the CMS Financial Investigation Unit, which can obtain information from financial institutions to verify income and assets. Where discrepancies are identified, the CMS can recalculate maintenance and implement the correct liability in accordance with legislation.
This approach helps ensure that child maintenance calculations are based on accurate income information and that paying parents meet their responsibilities towards their children.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve access to and the timeliness of Child Maintenance Service cases for parents in West Dorset.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is delivering a Modernisation Programme to improve customer access, efficiency and transparency. This includes integrated online application services, the My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) service, which provides customers with online access to case information and payment schedules, and Customer Connect, which enables secure online communication between parents and caseworkers. Telephone and assisted digital support remain available for customers who need additional assistance.
The programme has also introduced improved digital communications, enhanced data sharing to support faster and more accurate maintenance calculations, and predictive analytics to help identify cases at risk of non-compliance, which allows us to review the cases more swiftly and take action to ensure compliance is maintained
The Department continually monitors the effectiveness of the CMS through published statistics and operational performance measures. CMS services are delivered nationally and the Department does not routinely assess effectiveness or performance at parliamentary constituency level.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in supporting parents and children in West Dorset.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is delivering a Modernisation Programme to improve customer access, efficiency and transparency. This includes integrated online application services, the My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) service, which provides customers with online access to case information and payment schedules, and Customer Connect, which enables secure online communication between parents and caseworkers. Telephone and assisted digital support remain available for customers who need additional assistance.
The programme has also introduced improved digital communications, enhanced data sharing to support faster and more accurate maintenance calculations, and predictive analytics to help identify cases at risk of non-compliance, which allows us to review the cases more swiftly and take action to ensure compliance is maintained
The Department continually monitors the effectiveness of the CMS through published statistics and operational performance measures. CMS services are delivered nationally and the Department does not routinely assess effectiveness or performance at parliamentary constituency level.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of increased prices for specialist free from foods on the health and wellbeing of people with medically diagnosed food intolerances and allergies.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Rushcliffe on 3 July 2026 to Question 13254.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available to people with coeliac disease in West Dorset to help meet the additional cost of a gluten-free diet.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Rushcliffe on 3 July 2026 to Question 13254.