Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to change the child maintenance calculations from gross to net income.

The Child Maintenance Service calculates maintenance liabilities as a percentage of gross weekly income. Using gross annual income data directly from HMRC enables maintenance calculations to be made more quickly and ensures that the income information is as accurate and up to date as possible. My Department has no plans to change the way that statutory maintenance liabilities are calculated