§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases the Child Support Agency has applied for a liability order; how many cases have been heard to date; and what has been the outcome of these hearings.
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 9 February 1995:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of liability orders for which the Child Support Agency has applied.From April 1993 to the end of November 1994, the Agency has referred a total of 1,010 cases to court for liability orders. Figures are not available for the number of cases heard and the outcome of those cases, but a new system for collecting this information has been introduced from this month.362W
§ Sir John CopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions section 2 of the Child Support Act 1991 has been applied to reduce the amount of child maintenance paid by an absent parent.
§ Mr. BurtI have recently written to my right hon. Friend in reply to his letter to me on this matter. The information that the right hon. Member requires is not available. The law used in making decisions should be recorded on individual files, and notified to the client, but there is no requirement to keep or collate records centrally.