§ Mr. Desmond BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to publish details of the targets for the Child Support Agency; and if she will make a statement. [9837]
§ Mr. WorthingtonThe Child Support Agency will publish its 1997–98 Business Plan and Strategic Plan 1997–2000 today. Copies will be placed in the Library.
The targets that I have set for the Child Support Agency for 1997–98 are set out below.
£11.2 million of maintenance to be collected, or arranged for direct payment from absent parents with care.198 per cent. of payments made to parents with care to be made within 10 working days of receipt from the absent parent.The cash value of all assessments checked in the year to be correct in at least 85 per cent. of cases.Where a client is dissatisfied with a child support officer's decision and requests a review, 60 per cent. to be cleared within 13 weeks and 95 per cent. to be cleared in 26 weeks.70 per cent. of new maintenance applications to be cleared within 26 weeks and as at 31 March 1998 no more than 1 per cent. of maintenance applications received by the Agency to be over 12 months old.2To manage the Agency's resource so as to deliver its Business Plan within the gross allocation as adjusted during the course of the year; this includes the administration of the Belfast CSAC.The targets in the Business Plan represent a sizeable challenge to the Agency and provide a firm basis for taking the business forward. The targets include measures of accuracy and of the time taken to provide services. This underlines the Agency's continuing focus on quality and client services in 1997–98.
1This target includes cases where maintenance is paid direct by the absent parent to the parent with care.2For this target, applications include all cases received via the Social Security Agency or from private clients.