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8 Dec 2005 : Column 1542W—continued
Youth Services
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was made available for youth services in (a) England, (b) Staffordshire and (c) Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years. [35669]
Maria Eagle: From 2003–04, and the introduction of Formula Spending Shares, there has been a Youth and Community sub-block containing unhypothecated resources for the Youth Service, among other items. Subsequently, authorities' planned expenditure on Youth and Community activities has been separately recorded on their section 52 budget statements each year.
The following table shows the planned expenditure on Youth and Community activities for both Staffordshire and England, using information provided by authorities to the Department.
The figures for England and Staffordshire are in the following table:
| Financial year | England | Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 516,853,232 | 7,231,835 |
| 2004–05 | 528,637,156 | 7,358,625 |
| 2005–06 | 545,410,613 | 7,588,790 |
All LEAs including Staffordshire have received additional funding via the Transforming Youth Work Development Fund (replaced in 2005–06 by Transforming Youth Work Performance Improvement Fund) and SENDA funds. The allocations to Staffordshire were:
| Financial year | SENDA capital | SENDA revenue | TYWDF/TYWPIF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 91,911 | 25,067 | 307,280 |
| 2003–04 | 108,407 | 25,017 | 123,908 |
| 2004–05 | 75,051 | 16,678 | 122,279 |
| 2005–06 | (22)— | (22)— | 147,870 |
(22)Not applicable
DfES does not collect funding information on Tamworth as information is gathered by local authority area.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Recipients
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in Scotland are in receipt of at least one social security benefit. [35041]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The information is not available in the format requested. It is not possible to separate those receiving only housing benefit and council tax benefit from the overall figures.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1543W
The available information was in the written answer I gave the hon. Member on 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 607W.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve take-up of benefits provided by his Department in the top 125 most deprived lower layer super output areas as identified in the 2005 Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation; and what discussions he has had on this issue with the Welsh Assembly Government. [33293]
Mr. Plaskitt: Although the Department is not taking any steps specifically aimed at take-up of benefits in these areas, it maintains close working relationships at operational level with local authorities and the voluntary sector across the country, to ensure that all those entitled to services and benefits from the Department receive them.
Nationally, we have recently begun the third annual publicity and marketing awareness campaign aimed at getting everyone who is entitled to council tax benefit to claim it.
We are continuing, nationally, to make contact with those households that are likely to be eligible to pension credit. Activity has included direct mail, telephone calls and, where appropriate, home visits. The Pension Service's Local Service is working closely with local partners including Help the Aged and Age Concern to help ensure pensioners take up their entitlements.
As with all matters relating to the Department's responsibilities, we maintain ongoing dialogue with the Welsh Assembly Government at an operational level.
Child Maintenance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of assessed Child Support Agency cases had maintenance collected via deduction of earnings orders in each quarter since 1994; and if he will make a statement. [28383]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 December 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of assessed Child Support Agency cases had maintenance collected via deduction of earnings orders in each quarter since 1994; and if he will make a statement.
Notes:
1.Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to the nearest whole number.
2.Robust information covering the period May 2003 to February 2004 is not currently available.
3.Information prior to November 1995 is not provided as management information is not available.
4.The above includes those old scheme cases with a full maintenance assessment, and those new scheme cases with either a full maintenance calculation, or a default maintenance decision. Old scheme cases with a punitive interim maintenance assessment (an imposed assessment due to the non co-operation of the non resident parent), a small number of which would have deductions from earnings orders in place, are excluded from this analysis in line with the Agency's target definitions, as are new scheme cases being processed clerically.
5.These figures include all cases with a maintenance liability with the exception of around 5,000 cases for which the method of payment is unknown.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1545W
Child Support Agency
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in Northamptonshire have been supported by parental payments made through the Child Support Agency in each year since 1997. [34880]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information can not be broken down to the geographical level requested.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many change requests have been made to the Child Support Agency's new computer system in each year since 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [21450]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 December 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many change requests have been made to the Child Support Agency's new computer system in each year since 2003–04.
The process for notifying EDS of any elements of the system that do not fully enable us to meet our functional requirements involves making a request for change". This does not necessarily mean that a change to the underlying requirement has taken place. The change is commonly a defect discovered during testing or live operation.
In 2003/4 we introduced 32 agreed changes to the original requirement, 11 in 2004/5 and 4 to date in 2005/6.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress there has been with tackling (a) computer problems and (b) telephone problems at the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement. [21585]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is matter for the chief executive Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 December 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress there has been with tackling (a) computer problems and (b) telephone problems at the Child Support Agency.
As a result of the remedial work carried out over the past 18 months, the computer system stability, availability and performance are much improved, in most cases now achieving and maintaining agreed technical service-level standards.
There have been significant technical improvements made to the performance of the telephony system, including recent upgrading of call-management software, resulting in a measured improvement in the stability and availability of the telephony service. There are further planned telephone service improvements, which will mainly centre around enabling faster responses, and more consistent availability of staff who can deal with a client's call.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the key performance metrics are for measuring the success of the EDS contract with the Child Support Agency. [30021]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 December 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the key performance metrics for measuring the success of the EDS contract with the Child Support Agency are.
The Departmental wide contract with EDS sets out a number of performance related criteria that are designed to measure their ability to deliver the operational services. The Department monitors the achievement or otherwise of these measures and where applicable it can apply financial remedies to EDS for poor performance.
In addition as part of the CS2 commercial settlement with EDS they have agreed to a deliver a staged and specified programme of work. The Department has retained substantial sums of money that will be released over time as and when EDS deliver on their commitments.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will break down the Child Support Agency's compliance figures by the income band of the non-resident parent. [30069]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information requested is not currently available.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many deduction of earning orders were in place at the Child Support Agency in each year from 1997–98 to 2004–05; what proportion of cases this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement. [33433]
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1547W
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 5 December 2005]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 December 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many deduction of earning orders have been in place at the Child Support Agency in each year from 1997 to 2005; what proportion of cases this represents in each year; and if he will make a statement.
Notes:
1.Number are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and percentages to the nearest whole number.
2.Robust information covering the period May 2003 to February 2004 is not currently available.
3.Information prior to November 1995 is not provided as management information is not available.
4.The figures includes those old scheme cases with a full maintenance assessment, and those new scheme cases with either a full maintenance calculation, or a default maintenance decision. Old scheme cases with a punitive interim maintenance assessment (an imposed assessment due to the non co-operation of the Non Resident Parent), a small number of which would have deductions from earnings orders in place, are excluded from this analysis in line with the Agency's target definitions, as are new scheme cases being processed clerically.
5.These figures include all cases with a maintenance liability with the exception of around 5,000 cases for which the method of payment is unknown.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1548W
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases in which the Child Support Agency was seeking to make the flat rate deduction in child maintenance where the non-resident parent was on benefit in each year since 2003 the request was subsequently found to be for a different benefit from the one being claimed. [34697]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what problems remain to be fully resolved with the Child Support Agency computer system. [21440]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is matter for the chief executive Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 December 2005:
In reply to your Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what problems remain to be fully resolved with the Child Support Agency computer system.
Under the terms of the recently-completed commercial settlement, EDS will complete the new computer system (CS2) to an agreed specification, up to the point of providing system capability for conversion of cases onto the new rules. This will include correcting all currently-agreed system defects and running any scans necessary, without further cost. The Department will retain a proportion of payments conditional upon timely completion of this work to the required standards of quality. In addition EDS has agreed to make no further charges for the old (CSCS) computer system until June 2008.
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