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10 Sep 2008 : Column 1944W—continued
Child Benefit: Telephone Services
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much revenue the Child Benefit Helpline has generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [223432]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 July 2008, Official Report, column 827W.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of callers to the Child Benefit Helpline whose call was logged with the promise of a call back within 24 hours received a call back in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [223433]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not available.
Child Support Agency: Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will arrange for a final reply to be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North from the chief executive of the Child Support Agency (CSA) about a constituent of the hon. Member further to the CSA letter of 30 July 2008, reference PCO/177 431/CM/WOD. [223188]
Mrs. McGuire: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Winnick:
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, if he will arrange for a final reply to be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North from the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency (CSA) about a constituent of the hon. Member further to the CSA letter of 30th July 2008 reference PCO/177 431/CM/WOD. (223188)
As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.
Child Support Agency: ICT
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who did not receive timeous payment as a result of the Child Support Agency’s computer system failure in the first week of September 2008; what assessment he has made of the hardships likely to be caused to clients affected by the failure; what steps he plans to take to compensate those who have incurred bank charges and other financial penalties as a result of the failure; and if he will make a statement. [223364]
Mr. Timms: 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.
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 estimate he has made of the number of people who did not receive timeous payment as a result of the Child Support Agency’s computer system failure in the first week of September 2008; what assessment he has made of the hardships likely to be caused to clients affected by the failure; what steps he plans to take to compensate those who have incurred bank charges and other financial penalties as a result of the failure; and if he will make a statement. [223364]
The Agency is not aware of a computer system failure in the first week of September 2008 which has affected payments to clients.
If you have any concerns relating to a particular case, I would be happy to investigate and respond accordingly.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Children: Maintenance
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many new scheme cases were handled by the Child Support Agency in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997; [223283]
(2) how many old scheme cases were handled by the Child Support Agency in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [223284]
Mr. Timms: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
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 new scheme cases were handled by the Child Support Agency in (a) Jarrow constituency (b) South Tyneside (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997 [223283] and
How many old scheme cases were handled by the Child Support Agency in (a) Jarrow constituency (b) South Tyneside (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [223284]
The Agency’s Quarterly Summary Statistics contains information on its caseload in Table 1, and additional information at the geographical areas requested for the most recent quarter only in tables S1a and S1b. The latest copy is available in the House of Commons library or via the internet at:
The attached table contains the number of cases with a calculation or an assessment for each of the years and areas that you have requested.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
| Child Support Agency caseload by scheme | ||||
| Great Britain Caseload | North East Caseload | |||
| Month | Old Scheme | New Scheme | Old Scheme | New Scheme |
| South Tyneside Caseload | Jarrow Caseload | |||
| Month | Old Scheme | New Scheme | Old Scheme | New Scheme |
| Notes: 1. Figures include all cases with a calculation/assessment, including nil liability calculations and assessments. 2. Cases have been allocated to the North East, Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency and South Tyneside Local Authority by matching the postcode of the parent with care against the Office for National Statistics postcode directory. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. 4. ‘—’ indicates a figure less than 50. | ||||
Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what recent representations he has received on changes to the mobility component of disability living allowance for blind and visually-impaired people; [223453]
(2) what progress has been made in implementing changes to the mobility component of disability living allowance received by blind and visually-impaired people. [223454]
Mrs. McGuire: We have received a number of representations from hon. Members, organisations and members of the public on this issue.
We have been in long-term discussions with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and others on whether there is scope to extend the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance to people with severe visual impairments. While we understand the force of the arguments put forward by the Royal National Institute of Blind People, and are sympathetic to their aims, we cannot at this time commit to amending the existing arrangements for the mobility component of disability living allowance.
The Green Paper, “No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility” Cm 7363, published on 21 July, sets out our strategy to help greater numbers of sick and disabled people who want to work to fulfil their aspirations. Part of this strategy is the proposal to increase the access to work budget to help greater numbers of disabled people return to and remain in work. Currently, around one in four customers of access to work are people with a visual impairment.
Employment: Mothers
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has conducted into the quality of the assistance and advice given to mothers seeking employment. [223237]
Mr. Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions conducts a wide range of research to inform the strategic development and operational delivery of its policies. This includes formal evaluations of employment programmes and pilots, as well as more strategic research on work-related and service delivery issues. Other research considers, more broadly, customer satisfaction with various aspects of Jobcentre Plus provision.
Given the importance of reducing child poverty, research on mothers’ employment patterns and their experiences of and attitudes to work is a key strand of the Department's research programme. This includes a comprehensive programme of evaluation of employment programmes for which mothers are eligible, including the new deal for lone parents, work focused interviews for lone parents, and new deal for partners, as well as focussing on issues specific to mothers’ employment such as child care.
A list of relevant recently published research has been placed in the Library.
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