Policy Announcements, Wednesday 06 June

Government

• Today's publication of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill marks the next stage of the Government's fundamental reform of the system of child maintenance. The reforms will: replace the Child Support Agency with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (C-MEC), a new body at arm's length from government with tougher powers to force non-resident parents to pay for their children; help lift children out of poverty by allowing parents on low incomes to keep more of the maintenance owed to them; and empower more parents to make and maintain their own private maintenance arrangements.
• Home Office Minister Liam Byrne, today launched proposals to simplify complex immigration and citizenship laws, delivering the commitment made by the Home Secretary last year. The consultation; Simplifying immigration and citizenship law, aims to draw together views on how to radically simplify the Border and Immigration Agency's (BIA) legal framework.
• Defence Minister Lord Drayson today announced that the Government had approved a PFI solution as the most cost-effective way of replacing the RAF's fleet of VC10 and TriStar aircraft. The Ministry of Defence will now proceed towards the financial and contractual close of the FSTA (Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft) PFI deal with AirTanker Ltd. AirTanker Ltd is expected to begin the fund raising process shortly.