Petition End CMS loop-holes for parents who hide their income through Limited Companies.

On Thursday 24 June, Lord Farmer will lead a debate on Child Maintenance Service reform in the House of Lords.

To inform the debate, Lord Farmer wants to hear about your experiences of the Child Maintenance Service. He may quote your contribution directly during his debate, so please don’t share anything you wouldn’t want to be made public.

Find out more and share your experiences with Lord Farmer here: https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/child-maintenance-service-/index.html

Videos of the debate, which is known as a Question for Short Debate (QSD), the transcript and other relevant material will be accessible shortly after the debate on this webpage.

The deadline for contributions is 12noon on Wednesday 23 June.

Please note: this debate is separate from any work the Petitions Committee may do on this petition. For more information on how petitions work, visit: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/sign-a-petition/e-petitions/

What is a Question for Short Debate?

Four short debates ('Questions for Short Debate') take place on Thursday every five weeks in Grand Committee of the House of Lords, away from the main Chamber. These debates are an opportunity for members of the House of Lords to discuss important current issues and draw the Government’s attention to concerns. A Government Minister or spokesperson responds at the end to the issues raised in the debate.

Two debates were held recently on the Child Maintenance Service in the House of Commons.

• On Tuesday 17 May, MPs took part in an adjournment debate on ‘Child maintenance arrears’, led by Dr Kieran Mullan MP
• On Thursday 19 May, MPs took part in a backbench business debate on ‘Reforming the Child Maintenance Service’, led by Marion Fellows MP

Watch the debates, read transcripts of what was said in the debates, and access other relevant material: https://ukparliament.shorthandstories.com/cet-cms-may-2022/index.html?utm_campaign=0522-cet-cmspromo-petitioners&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petcom

What are adjournment debates?

Any backbench MP can apply to hold an adjournment debate on any subject which the Government are responsible for, providing it does not call for a new law (or changes to existing law). MPs from all parties can take part, and a Government minister must respond in the debate.

Adjournment debates take place at the end of each sitting day in the main House of Commons Chamber and usually last for 30 minutes.

They are held on the motion ‘that the House do now adjourn’. In other words, once the adjournment debate has finished, the House will close for the day.

What are backbench business debates?

Backbench business debates give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the main House of Commons Chamber or Westminster Hall, the second chamber of the House of Commons.

MPs can make a request for a debate to the Backbench Business Committee, who hears and decides which debates to schedule.

Backbench debates can either be general debates (which do not end in a vote) or be on a substantive motion (which calls for an action and can end in a vote). The debate on reforming the Child Maintenance Service was a general debate.

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