Michael Weir (Spokesperson (Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Energy; Work and Pensions); Angus, Scottish National Party)

I beg to move amendment No. 93, in clause 31, page 33, line 10, at end insert—

‘(1A) In making a decision to extinguish liability for arrears of child support maintenance under subsection (1) the Commission shall have regard to the welfare of the child or children in respect of whom the arrears are due.’.

This is a probing amendment to explore the scope of the commission’s power to write off arrears and to seek confirmation that the wealth of the child or children will be taken into consideration in respect of any regulations that are made to do so. To be fair, we had a good debate on this subject in the last amendment. The Minister gave us an assurance that the welfare of the child would be paramount in this Bill and when the commission wrote off debt. We also had a fairly good debate on the circumstances in which debt may be written off and the involvement of the parent with care. On that basis, I do not intend to push the amendment, if the Minister is prepared to reiterate that that will be taken into account in any write-off. I would be satisfied by such an assurance and would withdraw the amendment.

Anne McGuire (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Minister for Disabled People), Department for Work and Pensions; Stirling, Labour)

In the light of the hon. Gentleman’s comments, I am pleased to reaffirm what I said in the earlier debate. Where we extinguish arrears of maintenance, the existing child support legislation, which already safeguards the interests of the child, will obviously be part of that decision. What underpins this Bill is the welfare of the children. I thank the hon. Gentleman for agreeing in advance of that reaffirmation to withdraw his amendment.

Michael Weir (Spokesperson (Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Energy; Work and Pensions); Angus, Scottish National Party)

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.