Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recommendations of the review undertaken in 2019 and the findings of the coroner’s inquest in April 2021 into the murder in May 2017 of Emma Day by her ex-partner, what plans she has to review the management by the Child Maintenance Service of cases in which the parent with care is threatened by an ex-partner with violence; and if she will make a statement.

The Child Maintenance Service takes the safety of all its customers extremely seriously. It has significantly strengthened its processes to ensure customers experiencing domestic abuse are supported and can set up a child maintenance arrangement safely.

The Department has commissioned an independent review of ways in which the Child Maintenance Service supports victims of domestic abuse and the details of this review will be outlined in due course.