HC Deb 25 January 1995 vol 253 cc262-3W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for how long the Child Support Agency has been logging telephone calls from clients.

Mr. Burt

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 24 January 1995: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency logging telephone calls. The Agency has logged the number of calls received from clients since operations began in April 1993.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will instruct the CSA to terminate Mrs. Sandra Thurlbeck's (Ref. 1002139325) authority to act on her behalf in collecting maintenance.

Mr. Burt

I shall write to my hon. Friend separately.

Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals have been made to child support appeal tribunals since 1 April 1994; what is the total number of cases awaiting a Child Support Agency tribunal hearing; how many have been waiting more than three months; in how many of these cases the Child Support Agency has forwarded submissions; how many of these met the target of responding to the Independent Tribunal Service within 18 days; and what has been done since his answer of 17 May 1994; Official Report, column 440, to improve the success rate.

Mr. Burt

I am informed by his honour Judge Bassingthwaighte, the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, that since 1 April 1994 it has received, 4,876 appeals. At 31 December 1994, 4,337 were waiting to be heard. On these cases they have received 1,022 submissions: six within 18 days of lodgement. The information requested about the number which have been waiting over three months is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I am informed that the chief executive of the Child Support Agency set up a centralised appeals unit on 30 August 1994 as a measure to improve the production of submissions. Since then clearance rates have improved significantly.

Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many child support appeal tribunal hearings have been held since 1 April 1994, how many of these have been adjourned; in how many cases(a) the absent parent and (b) the parent with care attended; in how many one of the parties was represented; and in how many cases the child support officer's decision has been overturned.

Mr. Burt

I am informed by his honour Judge Bassingthwaighte, the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, that 1,446 cases have been heard since 1 April 1994 and of these 132 were adjourned. In 229 cases one of the parties was represented. In 614 instances the child support officer's decision was overturned. The information requested on the number of absent parents and parents with care who attended the hearings is not available. However I can inform the hon. Gentleman that the appellant attended 976 hearings and the other party attended on 378 occasions. Both the absent parent and the parent with care can appeal against a child support decision.

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