HC Deb 17 February 1949 vol 461 cc1322-3
17. Mrs. Middleton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of women in Great Britain entitled to receive payments under court maintenance orders; how many such women have been waiting more than three months for payments to be brought up to date; and how many children have been left unprovided for by their fathers for a period of three months or more because of failure to meet the financial obligations imposed by courts of summary jurisdiction.

Mr. Ede

I regret that the information for which my hon. Friend asks is not available.

Mrs. Middleton

Cannot my right hon. Friend do something to see that the women who have been granted such orders are enabled to get the money which is due to them? Will he pay particular attention to the large number of children who are left unprovided for by their fathers in this way so that something can be done to bring to the fathers a sense of their responsibility?

Mr. Ede

Every step that can be taken is taken by the courts and I am quite certain that on occasions they reduce the amount of an order in the hope that a person will pay something rather than pay nothing if the order is maintained at its first high level.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Is my right hon. Friend prepared to admit that, although the statistics asked for are not available, a very large number of innocent parties are adversely affected under the present arrangements?

Mr. Ede

Yes; there is no doubt about that.

Mr. Lipson

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will consider whether the police could not give more assistance to these women in obtaining the addresses of these men when they have disappeared, because apparently at present the police are unable or are not allowed to give that assistance?

Mr. Ede

The courts do all that they can.

Mr. Gallacher

Is the Home Secretary aware that if a woman gets a maintenance order against her husband and he leaves his job and takes a job in an Admiralty yard, that maintenance order cannot be enforced? Can he do anything about that?

Mr. Ede

I do not know that.

Mr. William Shepherd

If it is a fact that the police do not give assistance to a woman to trace her husband, is it not time that machinery was evolved whereby assistance could be given to women in these circumstances?

Mr. Ede

Such help as can be given is given, but I have already been pressed this afternoon to find other duties for the police.

Mrs. Middleton

In view of the increasing seriousness of the position I give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment as soon as possible.