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16 Sept 2004 : Column 1731W—continued
Canteen Facilities
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of running his Department's canteen facilities was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [185529]
Maria Eagle: DWP was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security (DSS), and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) including the Employment Service. The first year for which figures for the cost of running the former DSS canteen facilities are available is the financial year 1998–99 for which the cost was £2.7 million. The most recent figures available for DWP are for the financial year 2003–04 for which the cost was £3.7 million. Information is not available centrally for the former DfEE.
Child Support
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has set for the number of errors reported in Child Support Agency cases next year. [187944]
Mr. Pond: The Child Support Agency's targets are published within its annual Business Plan.
The target for the current year is that by 31 March 2005 accuracy on the last decision for all maintenance calculations checked to be correct to the nearest penny in at least 90 per cent. of cases.
16 Sept 2004 : Column 1732W
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will make arrangements to pay the money owing to Jennifer Oakes of Noctorum Avenue, Birkenhead, paid to him in error by the Child Support Agency. [189282]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Frank Field, dated 16 September 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will make arrangements to pay the money owing to Jennifer Oakes of Noctorum Avenue Birkenhead paid to him in error by the Child Support Agency.
As individual cases are confidential, I will write to you separately about this case. This is in line with paragraph 12, part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the change in the number of errors reported under the new Child Support scheme. [187943]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mike Isaac to Anne McIntosh, dated 16 September 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the change of the number of errors reported under the new Child Support Scheme.
In the year to 31 March 2003 the Agency's accuracy rate in calculating child maintenance assessments was 83.8 per cent. against a target of 80 per cent. This tested that the assessment was accurate to the nearest penny. In the year to 31 March 2004 the accuracy rate was 85.7 per cent. for old scheme cases against a target of 82 per cent. and 82 per cent. for new scheme cases against a target of 90 per cent. The new scheme was only introduced on 3 March 2003.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the number of Child Support Agency cases containing errors is reduced. [187945]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mike Isaac to Miss McIntosh, dated 16 September 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the number of Child Support cases containing errors is reduced.
The Agency has processes in place to regularly check the accuracy of its work. The teams responsible for that activity provide regular feedback to its operational teams so that they can learn from and remove identified causes of error. This is reinforced by a continuing education programme and regular team meetings at which quality is discussed.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to assess all Child Support Agency cases under the new criteria. [187963]
Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave him on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the operation of the Child Support Agency's computer systems. [187971]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Bob Spink, dated 16 September 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement about the operation of the Child Support Agency's computer systems.
Mr. Smith has made regular reports to Parliament on the implementation of Child Support Reform on the 16 July 2003, 18 November 2003, 12 February 2004, 21 April 2004 and 22 July 2004.
The Agency is currently supported in its work by two computer systems: CSCS which is supported and maintained by EDS; and CS2 which is provided as a managed service by EDS. CSCS provides support to those clients whose applications were received before March 2003. CS2 provides support in handling both clients whose applications were received after 3 March 2003 or whose cases are in some relevant way linked to applications made after that date. EDS is meeting its contracted levels of service for CSCS. However, there are well documented defects within CS2 that have caused difficulties for clients. We are consequently withholding a proportion of the monthly payments for the service offered by CS2, under the terms of our contract with EDS. EDS is currently part way through a recovery programme intended to remove those defects.
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether his Department has set a timetable for the transfer of existing child support agency customers to the new system; [188427]
(2) when existing Child Support Agency claimants will be transferred to the new system for calculating child maintenance; and if he will make a statement. [188444]
Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.
Civil Service Recruitment
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on services of the proposals to reduce civil service jobs in his Department. [189128]
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Maria Eagle: The Department's plans to reduce its staffing levels are part of a four year programme of modernisation made possible by a significant investment of public money. The investment has enabled the Department to streamline its processes, modernise its IT and improve its service to customers as a result. The first phase of these plans designed to increase the efficiency of benefit processing was announced to the House on 29 June. The latest phase of the Department's continuing modernisation programme was announced by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State in a written ministerial statement earlier today.
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