§ 39. Mr. Awdryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to increase the amount of maintenance which a magistrate's court can award for the benefit of children.
§ Mr. George ThomasMy right hon. and learned Friend is considering the need to increase the present limit, but he cannot at present say when it will be possible to introduce legislation for this purpose.
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§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that maintenance of arrears due under court order from a putative father cannot be obtained against the estate of a deceased father; and whether he will seek to amend the Affiliation Act to enable such arrears to be properly claimed.
§ Mr. George ThomasThe procedure for enforcing arrears makes provision for the court to take account of good reasons for failure to make payments and to remit all or part of the arrears in appropriate cases. These provisions could not operate after the death of the defendant and without them a change of the kind proposed might work injustice. My right hon. and learned Friend is not aware of any evidence that the existing provisions cause substantial hardship.