§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the percentage of compliance with orders for child maintenance was in the period before the Child Support Act 1991 came into effect. [59647]
§ Angela EagleBefore the launch of the Child Support Agency in April 1993, child maintenance was dealt with by the Department's liable relative officers where the parent with care was on benefit, or by the courts if neither parent was on benefit. A study of compliance with maintenance orders and agreements, carried out in 1990, showed that two in five Departmental cases with a maintenance order or agreement had one or more periods where the non-resident parent did not pay maintenance. In approximately 40 per cent. of cases with arrears, the arrears were not recovered in full. The study also found that one in three cases with maintenance orders in Magistrates courts were recorded as having had arrears at some time.