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1 Feb 2006 : Column 592W—continued
Call Centres (Relocation)
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential savings to be made by relocating his Department's call centres overseas; and if he will make a statement. [45712]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department has no intention of moving any of its jobs overseas and has made no such estimate.
Child Maintenance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have (a) been sent to prison and (b) lost their driving licence for a period of time for refusing to comply with the Child Support Agency in each quarter since 1995–96; and if he will make a statement. [28420]
Mr. Plaskitt
[holding answer 16 November 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.
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Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 31 January 2006:
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 people have (a) been sent to prison and (b) lost their driving licence for a period of time for refusing to comply with the Child Support Agency in each quarter since 1995–96; and if he will make a statement.
Our records between 1995/96 and 1999 are unreliable and information pre-dating 2001/2002 does not specify whether the non-resident parent served a prison sentence. The records only show whether a warrant was issued. However, from March 1999 to October 2005 there have been 545 suspended prison sentences. I have noted below the number of prison sentences actually served.
The power to withdraw driving licences was brought into effect on 2 April 2001 (under the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000). From then until October 2005 there have been 60 suspended driving licence sentences. I have noted below the number of driving licences actually withdrawn.
We use these ultimate sanctions as the final lever to achieve compliance rather than as a punitive measure for those non-resident parents who will not pay. This explains the difference between the number of warrants we obtain and the number of driving licences withdrawn or prison sentences actually served. The Agency can only request that courts consider these sanctions, however it is for the magistrates or sheriffs to make the decision.
The creation of the Enforcement Directorate has already significantly improved the Agency's enforcement performance and effectiveness with substantially improved outcomes at the more routine stages of enforcement for example bailiff action, third party debt orders and charging orders.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to question 27502, on child maintenance, tabled by the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 10 November 2005. [42012]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 16 January 2006]: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 19 January 2006, Official Report, column 1553W.
Child Poverty
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of children in relative low-income households have been living in poverty in each year since 1990–91. [41436]
Margaret Hodge:
We recognise that poverty and social exclusion are not just about low income, or the goods and services that people can afford. We understand that people's opportunities and quality of life are also shaped by their education, their skills, by
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access to quality health services, by decent housing and by the security and quality of the areas in which they live.
However, for measurement purposes, the threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median (also known as relative) income is the most commonly used to define the number of children living in poverty. This is the same measure that is used to report trends in low income.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to change the rules which detect anomalies, inaccuracies and incomplete data in the Child Support Agency's new scheme; and if he will make a statement. [30045]
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 1 February 2006:
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 plans he has to change the rules which detect anomalies, inaccuracies and incomplete data in the Child Support Agency's new scheme; and if he will make a statement.
There are currently no plans to change the rules, which detect anomalies, inaccuracies and incomplete data in the Child Support Agency's new scheme.
To ensure that new scheme cases are supported by complete and accurate data the Agency operates a risk based management checking regime for new applications and the maintenance of both the New and Old Scheme live caseloads.
We have acknowledged that there are problems with our new computer system and work is ongoing to resolve these with system releases planned for early 2006 to deliver further improvements. The Agency is continuing to work closely with EDS to remedy the outstanding problems and plans future releases during 2006 and 2007 and build upon the improvements already made.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what account is taken by the Child Support Agency of Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service advice to the courts on access arrangement for the non-resident parent when making parent decisions on payments in any particular case; [38885]
(2) what recent discussions there have been between the Child Support Agency and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; [38991]
(3) what mechanisms are in place to ensure cooperation and information-sharing between the Child Support Agency and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. [38992]
Mr. Plaskitt: The amount of child maintenance can be affected by the number of nights the child spends with the non-resident parent. However, this calculation is based on what is actually happening. The Agency therefore relies on the information provided by both parents, rather than a third party such as CAFCASS.
We do value working in partnership with stakeholders, and although there are no formal contracts between the Child Support Agency and CAFCASS at present, the
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Agency is committed to extending their relationship with stakeholders and will include CAFCASS in any future stakeholder communication.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases over the last five years the courts have made orders for compensation against the Child Support Agency. [44239]
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 1 February 2006:
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, in how many cases over the last five years the courts have made orders for compensation against the Child Support Agency.
Although the Agency tracks and reports the overall level of compensation payments, we cannot distinguish between compensation paid under our extra-statutory scheme (which allows clients to seek compensation without the need to go to court) and payments made to litigants as a result of an order from a court. We are therefore unable to provide the precise information you have requested on payments made as a result of a court order for compensation against the Child Support Agency.
Over the last year, however, we have introduced a small litigation team to handle cases where the client is taking action against the Agency. This team is not aware of any cases where the courts have made orders for compensation against the Agency.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much information relating to Child Support Agency cases in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has been lost since the introduction of the new IT system. [45265]
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 1 February 2006:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply form the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much information relating to Child Support Agency cases in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has been lost since the introduction of the new IT system.
Neither the Agency nor the service supplier (EDS) are aware that any data has been lost from the new computer system (CS2) in any area of the country. Any information relating to child support cases that has been saved to the system is retained in the system.
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