Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service takes to ensure that a paying parent's stated preference regarding their payment arrangement is recorded and taken into account before a final decision is made; and what safeguards exist to ensure that decisions are not made solely on the basis of telephone calls that a paying parent was unable to answer.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) records and considers relevant information provided by both parents when administering child maintenance arrangements. Where a parent expresses a preference regarding their payment arrangement, this information is considered alongside all other relevant evidence and the circumstances of the case before a decision is made. The CMS seeks to engage with both parents and records information provided by them regarding payment arrangements. Before making a decision, the CMS considers all relevant information available. Where a parent cannot be contacted by telephone, alternative contact methods may be used to ensure they have the opportunity to provide information. Decisions are not made solely because a telephone call was unanswered and are taken in accordance with the statutory child maintenance scheme and the circumstances of the individual case.