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25 Nov 2008 : Column 1368W—continued
Work and Pensions
Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the projected total cost of establishing the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is. [226160]
Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, a crown non departmental public body, was established as a legal entity on 10 June 2008 and took responsibility for CSA functions, staff and estates on 1 November 2008.
The cost of establishing the Commission is approximately £10 million. This represents the costs for recruitment, launching the Commission, necessary IT changes and staffing costs.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the debt steer policy and guidelines implemented on his behalf by the Child Support Agency. [229567]
Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
In response to your recent parliamentary question I undertook to send you under separate cover an overview of the Commission's policy on negotiating the recovery of child maintenance debt.
I trust the attached overview provides the detail you require.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much debt over six years old is owed to the Child Support Agency; whether the collection of such debt may be made through enforcement; and if he will make a statement. [234275]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 10 November 2008]: The administration of the child maintenance system is a matter for the Commissioner of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions regarding the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much debt over six years old is owed to the Child Support Agency; whether the collection of such debt may be made through enforcement; and if he will make a statement. [234275]
It is only possible to analyse the age of debt accrued while a case is on the CS2 computer system. As the CS2 system has only existed since March 2003, no debt is recorded as being over 6 years old.
The Child Support (Collection and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 were amended in 2006 to remove the six-year limitation period for applying to the court for a liability order in England and Wales. The effect of the amended legislation which came into force on 12 July 2006 is that debts of child support that have accrued since 12 July 2000 can be pursued through the courts.
Where arrears are outstanding for periods prior to 12 July 2000 the Child Support Agency may instigate debt recovery by alternative measures, which include imposing a Deduction from Earnings Order or employing external debt collection agencies.
The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 provides that in future the Commission may issue its own liability orders, without application to the court. These administrative liability orders may be made in respect of arrears that accrued before 12 July 2000 and will enable the Commission to pursue payment through the courts. The 2008 Act also provides powers for the Commission to make orders to deduct money from non-resident parents’ bank accounts. Deduction orders will be made without application to the court and there is no time limitation on the arrears to which they may apply.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Child Support Agency: Complaints
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints were made to the Child Support Agency by its customers in each of the last five years. [233861]
Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Commissioner to write to my right 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 Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints were made to the Child Support Agency by its customers in each of the last five years. [233861]
The information you have requested is set out in the attached table.
Since April 2006, as a result of the improvements to client service made under the Operational Improvement Plan the number of complaints received has fallen. In addition, the Agency revised and simplified the complaints process from April 2007, removing
a tier from the resolution process and introducing specialist case workers responsible for resolving all aspects of our clients' complaints.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
| Number of complaints received overall agency | |
| Complaints received | |
| Notes: 1. These figures are taken from the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts. 2. From April 2007, the Agency introduced a new complaints resolution process, which among others simplified the process from three stages to two stages. 3. Figures rounded to nearest 100. | |
Child Support Agency: Correspondence
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets he has given to the Child Support Agency on providing substantive replies to letters from hon. Members on behalf of constituents; and what percentage of replies have been provided within that target time during (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09 to date. [236201]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 17 November 2008]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Commissioner to 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 Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets he has given to the Child Support Agency on providing substantive replies to letters from hon. Members on behalf of constituents; and what percentage of replies have been provided within that target time during (a) 2006-2007, (b) 2007-2008 and (c) 2008-2009 to date. [236201]
The Secretary of State has not set the Agency any targets relating to the Hon. Members’ correspondence. However, current Cabinet Office guidance recommends a substantive reply should be sent to correspondence received by government departments, including from hon. Members, within twenty working days, in ninety per cent of cases.
The Agency aims to reply to letters and either resolve complaints, or agree next steps, within 15 working days of receiving them. This standard applies to all correspondence received from clients or their representatives including hon. Members, and the latest figures show that we have met this standard in 98% of cases.
The attached table sets out the performance outcomes specifically for both hon. Members’ letters to the Commissioner (Chief Executive) and to Ministers delegated to the Commissioner (Chief Executive) to reply.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
| MP letters to the Commissioner (Chief Executive) | |
| Replies issued within 15 working days (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. The above is measured over a financial year April to March. 2. Correspondence where an MP writes direct to the Commissioner. | |
| MP letters to Ministers—delegated to the Commissioner (Chief Executive) to reply | |
| Replies issued within 20 working days (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. The above is measured from January to December. 2. Correspondence where the MP writes to the Minister concerning operational issues and it is delegated to the Commissioner to reply. | |
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency plans to reply to the letter of 11 April 2008 from the hon. Member for Aylesbury on the case of Mr. W.W. of Aylesbury (reference 0019126759 and 9924517330); and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply. [236202]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 17 November 2008]: 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 Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when I would reply to your letter of 11th April 2008 about the case of Mr W. W. of Aylesbury (reference 0019126759 and 9924517330); and what the reasons were for the time taken to reply. [236202]
As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when a definitive reply will be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North in relation to his correspondence with the Child Support Agency on a constituent, ref: PCU 175131, RFA: 1042663122. [236298]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 17 November 2008]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Commissioner to 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 Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when you will receive a definitive reply in relation to your correspondence with the Child Support Agency about your constituent, Ref: PCU 175131, RFA: 1042663122. [236298]
As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.
Child Support Agency: Standards
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what proportion of cases calculated by the Child Support Agency the level of maintenance payments was initially calculated incorrectly in the latest period for which information is available. [233862]
Kitty Ussher: The administration of the child maintenance system is a matter for the Commissioner of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions regarding the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what proportion of cases calculated by the Child Support Agency the maintenance payments was initially calculated incorrectly in the latest period for which information is available. [233862]
The Agency does not collate information on the number of cases where maintenance payments were initially calculated incorrectly. However, the Agency does check a sample of around 6,000 cases each year to assess the accuracy of the maintenance calculations assessment to the nearest penny. This information is routinely published in Table 17 of the Child Support Agency’s Quarterly Summary of Statistics. The latest version is available in the House of Commons library or online at the following link:
In the 12 months to the end of September 2008 the Agency estimates that 85% of current scheme maintenance assessments and 94% of old scheme maintenance calculations were accurate to the nearest penny.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what national targets have been set for the Child Support Agency; and what the performance of offices in the southwest region was against those targets in 2007-08. [237942]
Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to 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 Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what national targets have been set for the Child Support Agency; and what the performance of offices in the southwest region was against those targets in 2007-08.[237942]
The Secretary of State set four targets for the Agency for the operational year 2007/08. The Agency manages performance across all its lines of business at a national level and does not apportion responsibility for contributing to targets down to regional level.
The national targets for 2007/08 were:
By 31st March 2008, maintenance will be collected or arranged by the Agency on behalf of 720,000 children.
By 31st March 2008, in 66 per cent of cases in which a liability to pay maintenance exists, the non-resident parent has either made a payment via the collection service or a Maintenance Direct arrangement is in place.
By 31st March 2008, the volume of uncleared new scheme applications will be no more than 140,000.
Collect or arrange £970 million in child maintenance (including both regular and arrears) between 1st April 2007 and 31st March 2008; of which at least £120 million maintenance will be arrears.
The Agency exceeded all of these Secretary of State targets, collecting or arranging over £1 billion in maintenance on behalf
of 749,000 children. The contribution that the South West business area made to the achievement of these targets is provided in the attached table.
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