Crewe and Nantwich MP, Dr Kieran Mullan has has offered his explanation to the proposed child maintenance curfew - following questioning on how it would work.

Last month, Dr Mullan, had a breakthrough in securing a crackdown on parents not paying child maintenance. 

Starting later this year, the UK Government aims to bring forward plans for home curfew orders on these parents.

The curfew would effectively prevent parents from going out socialising while their child goes without necessities.

In March, Dr Mullan had a breakthrough in securing a crackdown on parents not paying child maintenance (Shutterstock).

Dr Mullan said: "The important principle is that we should not accept non-payment and the government is committed to finding more effective ways of enforcing payment.

"I do not believe the current tools are working well enough. Non-payment can eventually lead to imprisonment in some cases already but obviously it prevents people earning money so it isn't used. 

A number of local residents took to social media to offer their opinions on the proposed curfew. 

Alison Hiscock said: "Imposing sanctions on absent parents who won't pay, supposes that there is an adequate system to properly assess them in the first place. 

"The old CSA (Child Support Agency) used to be notoriously bad at assessing absent parents who were self employed, I hope that has improved."

The Child Maintenance Service was established in 2012 to replace the old Child Support Agency.

Rach Johnson from Crewe also asked: "How is going to be policed?

Dr Mullan told Nub News: "We would expect non-compliance with a home tagging device to be similarly escalated if necessary, but a home curfew monitored through tagging would allow people to still go out to work.

 "I understand that there are issues with some parents blocking access to children and would encourage anyone to exercise their rights to see their children through the courts. 

A home curfew monitored through tagging could be used (News Letter).

"One thing is not an excuse for another."

Crewe resident Maria Elkin Walley added: "What about the mother or father that don't see their child/children because there ex partner won't let them? 

"Why should they pay child maintenance, when the parent does try to make contact with the other parent they end up phoning the police and end up having a curfew to stay away from the partners property. 

"They have no chance of seeing their child/children, even though it's been to court."

Currently, child maintenance payments help lift around 120,000 children across the UK out of poverty each year.

Proposed changes to the Child Maintenance Service were announced on March 14.

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