Edinburgh East MP Sheila Gilmore asked DWP minister Maria Miller how parents will be supported to maintain relationships after separation, in connection with the Government’s plans for child support reform, and queried whether existing budgets for this support in England are adequate.
The minister admitted that the current child support schemes can entrench conflict and they do not encourage parents to work together in the best interests of their children.
She added “We are taking steps to draw on a range of support to help parents collaborate to reach family-based arrangements for child maintenance wherever possible, which we believe will help the ongoing involvement of both parents in a child’s life after separation.”
Given that the funding and support that Maria Miller mentioned will not apply in Scotland, we await with interest for signs that the Scottish Government is adapting their spending plans to coincide with child maintenance reform. Or the reverse.
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