Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill
10:47 am
Tim Boswell (Daventry, Conservative)
I have two questions, although the first is perhaps more of an observation. It is interesting that another Department has recently introduced lasting powers of attorney, which are registerable before operation. Given that there is bound to be an interaction with the total income levels of participants in the process, it might be relevant to consider that.
My question relates to the assurances about accountability that the Minister has given us. I understand his arguments, particularly for operational flexibility and even for a degree of discretion. Against that, one has to weigh the need to ensure that what is prescribed in the law is carried out, that practice is consistent between different cases and that discretion is effected in a reasonably principled way. Will the Minister assure us, first, that if we have individual casework, in practical terms we will be able to pursue the matter in almost exactly the same way and, secondly, that if we have what might be termed systemic concerns about the way in which CMEC is to operate, we can at least raise them rather than waiting for the off-chance of an annual report debate in Westminster Hall or elsewhere?