Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

I support the idea that a passport can be taken away from someone who wilfully does not pay. There may often be a poetic justice in that. A number of cases have been brought to my attention in which the complaint has been that the absent parent was away overseas on holiday. Often, they had taken the children on holiday, although they were not paying for the absolute basics of life for them. The parent with care may be grinding away, trying to survive, while the other party flaunts their money by going on holiday. Taking away a passport is a strong incentive to perform for the parent who is supposed to be paying. I agree with the other sentiment that has been expressed—that that should not be done by administrative order, particularly in circumstances where the responsibilities can be outsourced to a company. It is a dangerous road to give a judicial function to a body that is nothing to do with the Government or the judicial system. I am glad that the Minister has thought again about that. He might want to reflect on other similar disposals—the football hooligan who is told that as a consequence of offending, he may not go abroad to watch England play and that his passport will be confiscated for the period when the match takes place, or the driver who has too many points on his licence or commits a road traffic offence and has his licence taken away. That is always done by a court. The Minister should give the House the assurance sought by my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), that he will not review the provision and come back with the idea of an administrative order. The measure should stay in the judicial area and should be subject to the decision of a court.