Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications to cancel passports have been made as a result of non-payment of child maintenance in the last 12 months.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a wide range of enforcement powers available to use for those parents who will not engage in a negotiated debt repayment plan for unpaid maintenance. Any enforcement power that would be recommended to the Courts is usually based on the level of debt and consideration of the ability to repay within the time periods set out in our legislation, as well as the most appropriate sanction for the circumstances of the parent.

These powers are intended to be a strong deterrent to encourage parents to meet their obligations.

During the last 12 months CMS has not applied for a passport confiscation on non-paying cases.

Details of enforcement powers used can be found within the Child Maintenance published statistics at tables 7.1 and 7.2 here.