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 the child maintenance system to ensure payments due are received.

The Child Maintenance System offers choice to all parents, so that those who can collaborate and manage their maintenance arrangements themselves are helped to do so through Direct Pay and those who cannot, have access to the statutory service through the Collect and Pay service. In circumstances where on-going maintenance arrangements break down we work with parents to re-establish payments in order to get money to children quicker.

To ensure parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children we have at our disposal a range of strong enforcement powers which we are continually reviewing and looking to improve. We are currently reviewing our arrears and compliance strategy, and will undertake a public consultation on a proposed new strategy in 2017.