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Child Maintenance

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (John Hutton) has made the following Statement. I have today published two papers on child maintenance. On 13 December 2006, the Government published their Command Paper A New System of Child Maintenance. Since publication we have conducted a number of consultation engagements and received around 200 separate responses from stakeholders. The report I am publishing today provides a summary of the views that have been expressed. I am grateful to all who have contributed, and our response shows how the policies have developed as a result of the consultation process. The Work and Pensions Select Committee published its report Child Support Reform on 15 March this year. I am publishing today the Government's response to the conclusions and recommendations of that report. I am grateful to the committee for their work and analysis, which has made an important contribution to the ongoing development of our proposals. Our proposals set out a clear way ahead for the child maintenance system. They will help lift many more children out of poverty, and enforce the rights of children and the responsibilities of parents. The streamlined system will offer a better service for clients and be more cost-effective for the taxpayer. Copies of both documents are available from the Vote Office.