Child maintenance: Challenging the undeclared income of paying parents
How child maintenance is calculated and what to do if a paying parent is suspected of not declaring their true income.

A debate on the rights of children while in police custody will take place in Westminster Hall scheduled for Tuesday 28th June 2022, from 2.30pm. Janet Daby MP will open the debate.
Rights of children in police custody (203 KB , PDF)
Police forces and chief constables are required by section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to ensure they discharge their functions having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (PDF) (UNCRC), which the UK has signed and ratified, requires that arrest, detention or imprisonment of children shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time (Article 37). Article 3 also states that when any decision is made in respect of a child the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
The primary legislation on the treatment of suspects in police custody, including children, is Part IV of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). This is supported by the statutory guidance set out in PACE Code of Practice C for the Detention, Treatment and Questioning of Persons by Police Officers.
PACE requires that anyone who appears to be under 18 is treated as a child in the absence of clear evidence that they are older. PACE refers to children as juveniles.
In addition to the rights available to suspects of all ages detained in police custody, children have certain other rights. For further details see the Library’s briefing on Police powers: detention and custody and the Home Office’s Notice of rights and entitlements from August 2019.
Rights of children in police custody (203 KB , PDF)
How child maintenance is calculated and what to do if a paying parent is suspected of not declaring their true income.
This Commons Library briefing paper discusses police stop and search powers. It outlines a recent history of their reform and available evidence on their effectiveness at reducing and detecting crime.
This Commons Library briefing paper discusses police powers to conduct "strip searches". It outlines the procedures for conducting strip searches; the available evidence on the use of strip searches; and recent debate about the impact they can have.