After the debate, Philip Dunne said "The CSA has many problems which were widely acknowledged on all sides of the House. The poor enforcement powers mean that many absent parents shirk their responsibilities."
"The LibDem proposal to scrap the agency and give responsibility to HM Revenue & Customs was not a credible solution. The fiasco over HMRC's administration of tax credits gives no confidence that it could administer the more complex child maintenance scheme." he continued.
See below for Hansard report:
Mr. Philip Dunne (Ludlow) (Con): My hon. Friend may be about to deal with the question of enforcement, which is the key to improving the CSA's performance. Absent parents who refuse to pay often go underground and become part of the black economy. The HMRC is unlikely to be the solution to that problem, as it is unlikely to capture such people anyway.
I do not want to make a speech, Mr. Deputy Speaker, but a case in my constituency has gone on for six years. The sum involved is £18,000 and the person who should pay it was the cheque writer in the company for which he worked. He refused to authorise the payments, turned self-employed and then went into the black economy. Many hon. Members will be aware of similar stories. My argument is that the Minister must deal with improving the CSA's powers of enforcement.
Miss McIntosh: I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who makes his point very well. The CSA's failure, or inability, in respect of enforcement is the key problem, and the Government must tackle it. The agency's failure to enforce maintenance payments from defaulting absent parents has left parents with care unable to support their children.
