After section 94 of the [1980 c. 43.] Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (effect of committal on arrears) there shall be inserted the following section—
(1)The Secretary of State may by order provide that a magistrates' court, on the hearing of a complaint for the enforcement, revocation, revival, variation or discharge of an English maintenance order, may order that interest of an amount calculated at the prescribed rate shall be paid on so much of the sum due under the order as they may determine.
(2)In subsection (1) above “the prescribed rate” means such rate of interest as the Secretary of State may by order prescribe.
(3)An order under this section may make provision for the manner in which and the periods by reference to which interest is to be calculated.
(4)Where, by virtue of subsection (1) above, a magistrates' court orders the payment of interest on any sum due under a maintenance order—
(a)then if it orders that the whole or any part of the interest be paid by instalments that order shall be regarded as an instalments order for the purposes of section 95 below and that section shall accordingly apply in relation to it; and
(b)the whole of the interest shall be enforceable as a sum adjudged to be paid by the maintenance order.
(5)In this section—
“English maintenance order” means—
a qualifying maintenance order made by a magistrates' court, other than an order made by virtue of Part II of the [1972 c. 18.] Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1972; or
an order made by the High Court or a county court (other than an order deemed to be made by the High Court by virtue of section 1(2) of the [1958 c. 39.] Maintenance Orders Act 1958) and registered under Part I of that Act of 1958 in a magistrates' court;
“qualifying maintenance order” has the same meaning as it has in section 59 above.
(6)The power of the Secretary of State to make an order under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument made with the concurrence of the Treasury and any such statutory instrument shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.”