Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to reform the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has set out plans to introduce a single service where all payments will be monitored, enabling the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to identify missed, late, or partial payments in real time. This will enable swift enforcement action to restore compliance and increase the amount of money reaching children.
We expect the reforms will make hidden non-compliance within Direct Pay visible, enabling the CMS to intervene earlier to ensure children receive the financial support they are entitled to. Where cases are currently working well under Direct Pay, those families can move to a family-based arrangement or opt into Collect and Pay if they require the added security of enforcement.
Where compliance cannot be achieved, the CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve.
The Government is also conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and secures the best outcomes for children who are within scope of the scheme. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.
Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve enforcement and (b) reduce the number of non-payments for child maintenance.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Most payments where a parent is unwilling to pay are collected regardless, via either a deduction from earning order (DEO) or a deduction from benefit. Only where these options are not available are other mechanisms needed.
Nevertheless, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring all separated parents within the statutory scheme support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.
If someone chooses not to pay their maintenance themselves, the CMS has administrative powers which means CMS officials can deduct maintenance directly from a paying parent’s wages, from their bank account, or from their benefits.
The CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children including deducting directly from earnings, bank accounts and forcing the sale of a property.
The Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 proposed regulations to support the introduction of administrative liability orders (ALOs), removing the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order. Introducing this process should enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and get money to children more quickly. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament as soon as possible.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the reasons why over 4,100 women from the most deprived deciles of multiple deprivation have donated their eggs in return for payment of £750 since 2011.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not plan to undertake an assessment, however, academic research in the United Kingdom has consistently found that donating eggs and sperm is driven by altruism.
The compensation rate for egg donation is set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as provided for in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA has advised that the donor compensation levels originally set in 2011 followed a thorough ethical review, which identified a set of principles that ensured altruism remained at the heart of donation and that there weren’t any unjustifiable barriers to donation.
HFEA published data shows that egg and sperm donors in England from 2011 to 2020 lived in similar or more affluent socio-economic areas than the general population.
The HFEA’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee recently reviewed the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including egg donors. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed and the HFEA will update the relevant information on its website as needed.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of (a) the health impacts of egg retrieval on and (b) the financial motivations of the 829 women aged between 18 and 20 who donated their eggs between 2000 and 2022.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not plan to undertake an assessment, however, academic research in the United Kingdom has consistently found that donating eggs and sperm is driven by altruism.
The compensation rate for egg donation is set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as provided for in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA has advised that the donor compensation levels originally set in 2011 followed a thorough ethical review, which identified a set of principles that ensured altruism remained at the heart of donation and that there weren’t any unjustifiable barriers to donation.
HFEA published data shows that egg and sperm donors in England from 2011 to 2020 lived in similar or more affluent socio-economic areas than the general population.
The HFEA’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee recently reviewed the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including egg donors. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed and the HFEA will update the relevant information on its website as needed.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take legislative steps to require the listing of health risks on adverts placed by fertility clinics seeking egg donors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the United Kingdom’s fertility sector regulator, sets out strict requirements in its Licence Conditions and Code of Practice in relation to the recruitment of donors and the information that must be given to egg donors in advance of donating at UK-licensed fertility clinics, which includes information about the potential immediate or longer-term health risks and the psychological consequences of being a donor, as well as offering counselling to everyone involved.
In addition, the HFEA’s Code of Practice states that advertising should be designed with regard to the sensitive issues involved in recruiting donors and should follow the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) codes. This includes that advertising or publicity aimed at recruiting gamete or embryo donors, or encouraging donation, should not refer to the possibility of financial gain or similar advantage, although it may refer to compensation permitted under relevant HFEA Directions.
The ASA and HFEA issued a joint enforcement notice in 2021 to ensure fertility clinics and others were aware of the advertising rules, which remains in place.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with women's rights campaigners to discuss the impact of egg donation on young women.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as the regulator of the United Kingdom’s fertility sector, met with Surrogacy Concern and Stop Surrogacy Now in October and December 2024.
The HFEA provided information about the strict requirements in its Licence Conditions and Code of Practice relating to donor recruitment, the data published by the HFEA, and the information clinics must provide to patients and donors about the risks of any treatment prior to it taking place at HFEA licensed clinics.
The HFEA’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee recently reviewed the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including egg donors. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed and the HFEA will update the relevant information on its website as needed.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission research on the effects on UK citizens of a ban on pursuing surrogacy abroad.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has no plans to commission research on the effects of a ban on international surrogacy arrangements.
The Government supports surrogacy as a part of assisted conception options, to help people who have difficulty starting their own family.
The Government recognises that international surrogacy is a complex area, and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has published guidance for British nationals seeking international surrogacy arrangements.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission research in to the long term effects of egg retrieval on women's bodies.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Reigate on 22 July 2025 to Question 68253.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to take steps to protect digital ownership.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is taking steps to protect digital ownership by introducing the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill. This Bill confirms that digital assets such as crypto-tokens can be recognised as personal property under the law of England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. This clearer legal recognition will provide greater certainty and legal protection for individuals and businesses who hold or transact with these assets, including in cases of theft, insolvency, inheritance, and when used as security for loans.
Justice is a devolved matter in Scotland, which has a distinct legal tradition in property law. The Scottish Government has been consulting separately on the recognition of digital assets as property under Scots law.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the practice by video game publishers of remotely disabling access to games that consumers have legally purchased on consumer rights.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is aware of concerns relating to the continued access to video games, including licensed, online-only video games, and we appreciate the frustrations of players of some games that have been discontinued. The Government has responded to a recent petition on this issue.
There are no plans to amend existing consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs), giving clear advice to consumers. Video game sellers must not omit or hide material information, or provide it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.