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Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

moved Amendment No. 42: 42: Clause 29, page 33, line 33, leave out ““liable person”” and insert ““person searched”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, I will also speak to the other amendments in this group. These are minor and technical amendments to ensure consistency between the provisions in relation to commitment to prison, curfew orders and disqualification from driving. On the hearing of an application for a committal, curfew or disqualification from driving order, the court may order the liable person to be searched. Any money found on that person may be used as payment towards the relevant amount of maintenance arrears. The amendments allow the excess to be returned to the ““person searched”” rather than, as currently drafted, the ““liable person””. This will, in effect, be the same person, but the amendments will ensure consistency with the curfew provisions. That will mean that in future courts will not try to read into the inconsistency something that is not there. On that basis, I urge noble Lords to agree to the amendment. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.