Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the Child Maintenance Service debt that has been written-off in the last 12 months where the paying parent has an ongoing maintenance liability.

No Child Maintenance Service (CMS) debt has been written off. The Department is offering one last attempt to collect historic Child Support Agency (CSA) debt, where it is cost effective to do so and there is a reasonable chance of collection. Where this is not possible, the debt will be written off.

There are no longer any CSA cases with ongoing maintenance.

Our main focus is to collect money owed to children who will benefit today, thereby preventing the build-up of arrears under the CMS.