§ 10. Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the operation of the new provisions for strengthening the machinery for enforcing maintenance orders by attachment of earnings, which came into force on 2nd August; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarlisleMore time will be needed to assess the effect of the new provisions on the enforcement of maintenance orders.
§ Mr. DalyellIs the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that over the summer many of us have been receiving an unstaunched flow of instances of pathetic women who have found that court orders in their favour were simply not being implemented? In the circumstances, could he not raise with the legislation committee of the Cabinet the possibility of bringing in legislation to make alimony and aliment payable through the Inland Revenue, or the Ministry of Social Security? It needs to be done.
§ Mr. CarlisleI assure the hon. Gentleman that anybody in the Home Department who is involved is fully aware of the many disturbing instances of women being unable adequately to enforce maintenance orders. But one must make the realistic observation that it is very difficult to enforce any order when the other party to the order deliberately chooses to do his best to evade it. All I can say is that we believe that the effects of the Attachment of Earnings Act, 1971, will assist. On the wider issue; a committee under Mr. Maurice Finer is looking at the problem of one-parent families.