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18 Dec 2002 : Column 848W—continued
Mauritania
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has given to deal with the food shortage in Mauritania. [87093]
Clare Short [holding answer 16 December 2002]: We have provided US$158,563 to World Food Programme (WFP) in 2002 for food assistance to Mauritania. A further emergency appeal from the WFP is expected shortly. This is expected to cover food shortage needs of five countries in the region, including Mauritania. We will be considering this appeal and are also considering a related proposal from Oxfam. Funding is also provided via the EC, of which DFID share around 19 per cent. In 2000 (the latest figures available) this amounted to approximately #7.8 million.
Ministerial Engagements
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many engagements were undertaken outside London (a) by her or her predecessor and (b) by ministers in her Department in January (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002. [87352]
Clare Short: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002.
New Partnership for Africa's Development
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries have notified the chairman of the NEPAD heads of state and Goverment Implementation Committee that they wish to participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism. [87214]
Clare Short: Algeria, Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda have signed the Declaration of Intent to accede to the African Peer Review Mechanism.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Pensioners (Portsmouth, South)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners within the Portsmouth, South constituency will benefit from the introduction of the pension tax credit in October 2003; and if he will make a statement. [85870]
Mr. McCartney: Estimates of pension credit entitlement are not available at constituency level due to the insufficient sample cases in the survey data used. However, just under half of all pensioner households across Great Britain will be eligible for Pension Credit. Such information as is available relates to pensioners in the Portsmouth, South constituency receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) and is as follows:
As at August 2002, there were 3,200 MIG recipients in the Portsmouth, South constituency.
Benefit Payments
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the process a customer will go through to ensure benefits are paid into (a) a new Post Office card account and (b) a bank account, when their DWP benefit book ends. [84290]
Mr. McCartney: The Department is contacting customers and providing them with information (including letters and leaflets) which clearly sets out the account options as part of the move to Direct Payment. Customers will then be able to consider the options available and choose the account that best meets their needs and circumstances. They will be asked to provide details of their chosen account so that the Department can begin to pay their benefit or pensions by Direct Payment.
Those who wish to use an existing account will simply need to provide their account details. DWP will issue a Personal Invitation Document (PID) to customers who choose to open a Post Office card account. This document is taken to a Post Office branch where the customer will be given a Post Office card account application form.
Benefits
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to find the lost papers sent to his Department last July concerning the claim of Mrs Noreen Hooper of Brixham; and if he will make a statement. [81965]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 19 November 2002]: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of The Pension Service. As customers' personal details are confidential she will write to the hon. Member privately.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost of processing a CSA application has been in each year since its creation; and if he will make a statement on the results of the
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operational readiness review conducted in September and October into the modernisation of payments programme. [83711]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. Doug. Smith to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated December 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
- You ask what the average cost of processing a CSA application has been in each year since its creation and also, if the Secretary of State will make a statement on the results of the operational readiness review conducted in September and October into the .modernisation of payments programme.
- We do not have the average cost of processing a Child Support Agency application prior to 1999–2000. However, I have attached the details from that date to the present.
| At 31 March | Average cost per case |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 77.65 |
| 2001 | 97.44 |
| 2002 | 84.48 |
| 2002 (to October) | 90.28 |
The cost per case has been calculated on the basis of the average number of staff employed on processing cases to assessment and the number of cases cleared in each of the years stated. The cost per case fluctuates due to corresponding changes in the quantity of cases cleared; the number of cases cleared changes in accordance with the Agency's operational priorities.
The Payment Modernisation Programme has advised that the gated review process within the Department allows for a number of formal reviews. The Payment Modernisation Programme successfully navigated through the Operational Readiness Review gate during September and October. This enabled the Programme to commence the first phase in the move towards Direct Payment, including mailings sent to Veterans Agency customers from 7 October and Child Benefit customers from 28 October 2002.
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what external audit he has commissioned of the Child Support Agency's new IT system. [85859]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from D. Smith to Mr. Mark Todd, dated December 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
- You ask what external audit he has commissioned of the Child Support Agency's new IT system.
- The new IT system is being built and will be operated, by EDS, a major IT service provider in the private sector. A number of reviews have been carried out over the life of the project designed to assure the Agency that the IT system will meet its requirements. These fall into three main areas:
- The Department's own Internal Assurance Service have carried out a number of audits on specific parts of the system.
- A technical review, focussed on the approach to development and testing, was carried out by an external organisation, in early 2001. The Department's own Technology Office have also continued to validate the on-going development following that initial technical review. In addition, there have also been a
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- number of reviews of the wider programme, including the approach to developing the IT system carried out by external consultants.
- The Office for Government Commerce has carried out two project 'gateway' reviews. The first, in April 2001, concentrated on the development phase of the project and the second, in February 2002, on the-readiness for implementation, including the IT system. Each of these reviews highlighted the risk inherent in building and implementing a large complex IT system; but have confirmed that the Agency's risk management processes are effective.
- National Audit Office have been kept informed of the: development of the Agency's new IT system and have regular briefing sessions to keep them updated on the key issues at the various stages of development: Their staff receive copies of the high level strategies, other low level documents for information and copies of-the end of stage reviews and internal audit reports that have been carried out on specific areas of the Child Support Reform Programme that are delivering the reforms. Later this year they intend to produce a position statement building on the comments they made last year in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the CSA's complaints system and (b) the Independent Case Examiner's Annual Report 2001–02. [86534]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Doug Smith to Archy Kirkwood dated 18 December 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying the your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
- You ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the CSA's complaints system and (b) the Independent Case Examiner's Annual Report 2001–02.
- The Agency recognises that it needs to improve the handling of complaints and as a result conducted a detailed review of the complaints process. The recommendations from this review are being taken forward as part of the Child Support Reform programme. The key deliverable from this work is a standard process and organisation for handling client complaints. This will include:
- Dedicated complaints resolution teams.
- Clients, staff and stakeholders knowing how a complaint will be progressed whatever the client's location.
- Complaint resolution plans agreed with the client, which specify the actions and timescales to resolve the complaint.
- Senior Resolution Managers heading up a technical assurance team in each Business Unit. These teams deal with cases that cannot be resolved by the complaints resolution teams or have been referred to them by the Chief Executive or Area Director.
- Accepting, recording, tracking and resolving complaints over the telephone A new aftercare process to ensure that once a case is back on track, it remains so.
- A Centre of Excellence, to analyse and learn from complaints data.
- In 2001/02 the Child Support Agency has worked hard with the Independent Case Examiner to reduce the backlog of outstanding complaints. Advice on how the Agency might best improve the way it handles complaints has proved invaluable.
- Using this information the Agency has made some significant steps forward in improving its service to our clients including:
- Restructuring the front end of its business to provide an end-to-end service for new clients, and on each team have a dedicated specialist complaints handler Creating new IT support for debt management, appointed new bailiffs improve efficiency and reduce the complaints about lack of activity in this area
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- These improvements are a part of the comprehensive modernisation programme in which the Agency is engaged and against that background we will continue to work closely with the Independent Case Examiner to significantly reduce the number of complaints referred to her office where she finds that the Agency has not done enough either to apologise, to offer compensation and redress or to resolve the position for the future.
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost was of processing a Child Support Agency application in each year since the CSA was created. [86703]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from D. Smith to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated December 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
- You ask what the average cost was of processing a Child Support Agency application in each year since the Child Support Agency was created.
- I refer you to my previous answer to parliamentary question (ref no. 83711) which states:
- 'We do not have the average cost of processing a Child Support Agency application prior to 1999/00 however, I have attached the details from that date to the present.
| At 31st March | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2002 (to Oct) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average cost per case (#) | 77.65 | 97.44 | 84.48 | 90.28 |
The cost per case has been calculated on the basis of the average number of staff employed on processing cases to assessment and the number of cases cleared in each of the years stated'.
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