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Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

I again thank the hon. Members for South-West Bedfordshire and for Rochdale on their support for the amendments in the group and for the Bill in general. As the hon. Member for Rochdale said, the Bill is a landmark piece of legislation, in terms of what we hope it will achieve on behalf of children, who have no part in the break-up of their parents' relationship but who can sadly suffer as a result. It is therefore necessary that appropriate arrangements be put in place to ensure that the obligations towards the children are met in way that, wherever possible, ensures co-operative with parents, but is firm with those who might otherwise feel that they have the option not to comply with their obligations. They do not. As hon. Members have said, the Bill has received thorough scrutiny. I feel that I am supposed to be displaying bruised knuckles as a result of some of the comments that have been made, but such comments are part of the ordinary scrutiny process that Bills go through. We have tried to take on board the comments made by those Committees that have been part of the process of deliberation on the Bill, as well as by other parties. The efforts that we have made during the passage of the Bill have, for the most part, been entirely constructive—we have done more of this work this afternoon—as a result of which we now have a better Bill. Lords amendment agreed to. Lords amendments Nos. 94 to 125 agreed to.