---

Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

These amendments consider in the broadest terms the power of the commission to write off arrears payments and the impact that that power might have on the parent with care. My Amendment No. 186 was tabled to ensure that before making a decision under the proposed Clause 41E(1) of the Child Support Act to, "““extinguish liability in respect of arrears of child support maintenance … the Commission shall consider the welfare of the child or children in respect of whom the arrears are due””." This is a probing amendment, intended to explore the scope of the commission’s power to write off arrears and to seek confirmation that the welfare of the child or children will be taken into consideration in respect of any regulations made by the Secretary of State when exercising his power under the proposed Clause 41E(2) of the Act. In truth, I am nervous that—