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Child Support Agency
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases the Child Support Agency has dealt with, where the alleged absent parent disputes paternity, between January 1996 and October 1996. [4759]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
26 Nov 1996 : Column: 221
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency paternity disputes.
Mr. Mitchell:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996:
Mr. Mitchell:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996:
Mr. Mitchell:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
26 Nov 1996 : Column: 222
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about false identification of fathers and compensatory payments made by the Child Support Agency.
(7) Figures have only been collated since April 1994.
(8) Latest available figures are to 30 September 1996.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the average number of daily visitors to the Benefits Agency offices at (a) Highgate and (b) Finsbury Park for (i) 1994-95, (ii) 1995-96 and (iii) the current year to date; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staff numbers to deal with them. [5165]
Mr. Roger Evans:
This is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 25 November 1996:
26 Nov 1996 : Column: 223
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
As with other Districts, Euston District, which includes the offices at Highgate and Finsbury Park, is required to review the services it provides to ensure that the most effective service is given within the resources available. Staff resources, forecast projections and actual workloads are monitored throughout the year and if a shortfall in staffing is identified extra staff are drafted in to maintain a good standard of service.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the additional measures necessary to discourage unnecessary dental treatment; [5244]
Mr. Malone:
It is part of the Dental Practice Board's responsibility to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on aspects of quality in the general dental service in England and Wales, and to identify and act in circumstances where acceptable standards have not been met.
In line with the Department's response to the recommendation by the National Audit Office the Dental Practice Board is expanding the dental reference service.
Mr. Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have been struck off in each year since 1986 for undertaking unnecessary dental treatment. [5243]
Mr. Malone:
This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will collate centrally information on NHS trusts which restrict admissions for financial reasons; and if he will make a statement. [5143]
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in the selection of the chairman of the Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Mexborough Montagu NHS trust; and if he will make a statement. [5141]
26 Nov 1996 : Column: 224
Mr. Horam:
Candidates for the chairmanship of national health service trusts are assessed against the specific job description and the qualities described in the personal specification for NHS trust chairmen, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much in cash terms has been paid out in compensation by the Child Support Agency between April 1993 and October 1996. [4758]
Between January 1996 and September 1996, the Agency has had 13,863 cases of disputed paternity. In the same period 11,566 cases were cleared. Clearances include cases where the Agency has accepted the AAP's representations; cases cleared through the Courts and cases resolved by DNA Testing.
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many alleged absent parents used the Child Support Agency's subsidised DNA testing procedure between its introduction and 31 October 1996. [4760]
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency compensatory payments.
Between April 1993 and September 1996 the Child Support Agency has made compensatory payments totalling £747,100.
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many individual payments of compensation the Child Support Agency has made to people falsely identified as fathers; and how much in cash terms the total compensation has amounted to between April 1993 and October 1996; [4756]
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency DNA testing.
The Agency introduced its Discounted DNA Scheme in July 1995 to give alleged absent parents (AAPs) a means to resolve paternity disputes quickly and without the need to go to Court. The company contracted to carry out the DNA testing, Cellmark, also carry out DNA tests directed by the courts.
Between July 1995 and March 1996, 1,377 cases were referred for DNA testing. From April 1996 to the end of September 1996, 2,095 cases have been referred.
Cases take an average of three weeks for the results to be produced by Cellmark, once samples have been provided. Of the cases tested between July 1995 and the end of September 1996, 88% were adjudged to be the absent parent.
I hope this is helpful.
(2) how many false identifications of fathers the Child Support Agency made during (a) 1993, (b) 1994, (c) 1995 and (d) between January 1996 and October 1996. [4755]
You have asked how many "false identifications" of fathers the Child Support Agency has made during the years 1993 to 1997. The Agency does not collate figures of how many fathers have been falsely identified, but has monitored the numbers of incorrectly issued Maintenance Enquiry Forms (MEFs) since 1994.
A MEF can be issued incorrectly where the parent with care (PWC) has given the Agency incorrect information or where the Agency has incorrectly traced the absent parent from incomplete information provided by the PWC. Where the Agency is at fault, compensation can be considered.
The table attached gives an annual breakdown (financial year-April to March) of the numbers of MEFs that have been incorrectly issued from April 1994 to September 1996 and, to put the numbers in perspective, shows the total number of MEFs issued for each year and expresses the incorrect issue as a percentage.
Since its launch in April 1993 to September 1996, the Agency has made 6 payments amounting to £600 in compensation relating to the incorrect issue of a maintenance enquiry form.
I hope this is helpful.
Number of maintenance enquiry forms issued Number of incorrect maintenance enquiry forms issued Percentage of incorrect maintenance enquiry forms issued 1993-94 466,574 (7)n/a (7)n/a
1994-95 276,583 115 0.042
1995-96 185,459 45 0.024
1996-97(8) 103,480 9 0.009
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will list the average number of daily visitors to the Benefits Agency offices at (a) Highgate and (b) Finsbury Park for (i) 1994-95, (ii) 1995-96 and (iii) the current year to date; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staff numbers to deal with them.
The average number of daily visitors is shown in the table below:
Branch office 1994 (January-December) 1995 (January-December) 1996 (January-October inclusive) Highgate 210 271 269
Finsbury Park 290 261 282
(2) what measures are in place to monitor the work of NHS dentists and the adequacy and appropriateness of the treatments offered. [5241]
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