HC Deb 04 November 1968 vol 772 cc467-8
18. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider taking steps to enable his Department to make maintenance payments to separated mothers, and to institute state prosecutions where the husbands default, on the lines of the system operated in Norway, details of which have been sent him.

The Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Mr. Norman Pentland)

A separated woman receiving supplementary benefit is already invited to authorise the magistrates' clerk to pay to the Ministry any money received by him under a maintenance order, so that her full supplementary benefit is regularly paid. The Supplementary Benefits Commission obtains orders where a woman is unable or unwilling to proceed and enforces such orders as appropriate. The question of enforcement of judgment debts is being considered by the Payne Committee.

Mr. Allaun

Is it not obviously easier for the State, with all its apparatus and powers, to overcome the difficulties of mothers in this position, rather than for the mothers themselves?

Mr. Pentland

I take my hon. Friend's point but, as I have said, the question of the enforcement of judgment debts, including maintenance and affiliation orders, is being considered by a committee set up by the Lord Chancellor under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Payne. The report of the committee should be available shortly.

Mr. J. T. Price

Is my hon. Friend aware that some time ago I was promised that the Payne Committee's Report would be available in July of last year and yet we are still waiting for it? When are we going to get it? Is my hon. Friend aware that in many cases where women are living apart from their husbands, his Department—the Department of Social Security—is actually paying State benefit to the men on behalf of their dependants and the dependants are not getting benefit? In many cases the men cannot be traced and the women, who have been trying to keep their families without their husbands' support, are unable to get any judgment summons made effective by the present operation of county court procedure?

Mr. Pentland

With regard to my hon. Friend's concluding remarks, if he knows of any constituent of his, or anyone else, who is experiencing these difficulties we shall be happy to look into them. Speaking completely off the cuff, I have no recollection of anyone from my Ministry, speaking from the Dispatch Box, saying that the Payne Committee was expected to report by July last. I am not doubting my hon. Friend's word. All I can say today, however, is that we are expecting the report shortly.