HC Deb 09 May 1995 vol 259 cc395-6W
Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many absent parents have received an interim assessment from the Child Support Agency since its inception; [21793]

(2) how many absent parents who have received an interim assessment from the Child Support Agency since its inception have subsequently become (a) unemployed and (b) recipients of income support; [21794]

(3) what steps the Government are taking to monitor the relationship between Child Support Agency interim assessment orders and subsequent unemployment. [21795]

Mr. Burt

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

Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. Mike Gapes, dated 5 May 1995: I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Interim Maintenance Assessments (IMA) issued by the Child Support Agency. Since launch to the end of February 1995 the Agency completed and issued a total of 133,167 IMAs. From April this year there have been changes in the use of IMAs; a new higher rate IMA may be imposed on high earners; a non-punitive IMA has been introduced for self-employed earners; a protected earnings rate has been introduced in cases where an IMA is being collected via a deductions from earnings order, and once the absent parent (AP) has provided all required information, their liability under the preceding IMA will revert to that of the Full Maintenance Assessment.

Appointments made to administrative assistant and administrative officer posts by the Scottish Office: September 1993-April 1995
September 1993-November 1993 December 1993-February 1994 March 1994-May 1994 June 1994-August 1994 September 1994-November 1995 December 1994-February 1995 March 1995-April 1995
Administrative Assistant 65 17 5 10 6 8 20
Administrative Officer 1 1 0 6 3 2 0
Total 66 18 5 16 9 10 20

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the individual value of each(a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22079]

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 2 May 1995]: Compensation payments for early retirement on grounds

The Agency cannot monitor the relationship between the imposition of IMAs and any subsequent unemployment of APs. IMAs are imposed either because an AP fails to provide the Agency with the necessary information required to carry out a maintenance assessment, or, as in the majority of such cases, the AP fails to return a maintenance enquiry form at all. An analysis of the number of APs who become unemployed following the imposition of an IMA is not possible, as the Agency often has no personal details of the AP other than their name and address. I hope this is helpful.