HC Deb 02 May 2000 vol 349 cc35-7W
Ms Oona King

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what budget the CSA allocates towards welfare assessment; in which of the last six years there has been an underspend; and how much. [119570]

Angela Eagle

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Ms Oona King, dated 2 May 2000: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency. You ask about the Agency's budget allocation towards welfare assessments and I have taken the term 'welfare assessment' to mean child maintenance assessments. Unfortunately the information you require is not available. The main role of the Agency is the accurate assessment and collection of child support maintenance and we aim to do this in the most efficient and cost effective way and to ensure that children receive the financial support to which they are entitled. The Agency is funded on outputs that reflect our targets and focus on customer service. The Secretary of State requires the Agency to live within its allocation of cash resources and this has been achieved. In addition, over the past three years the Agency has improved overall efficiency by 48 per cent. and expects to exceed this figure by 1999–2000. I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Gerald Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost of running the Child Support Agency in each year since its establishment; and how much money was recovered in each year from absent parents. [119765]

Angela Eagle

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Gerald Howarth, dated 2 May 2000: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency. You asked for details of the cost of running the CSA since its establishment. Details of running cost expenditure are summarised in the attached annex. These figures are based on the Appropriation Account for the Administration and Miscellaneous Services Vote (Vote 3) for each year. You also asked for details of maintenance recovered in each year from non-resident parents. Details of the amount of maintenance collected and arranged are also summarised in the annex. These figures take into account maintenance collected from non-resident parents and maintenance assessed by the Agency but paid directly by the non-resident parent to the parent with care. You will see that we have been unable to provide figures for 1993/94 and 1994/95. This was because in those years the focus of the Secretary of State's targets was upon annual benefit savings and the total amount of maintenance collected and arranged was not then a target.

CSA running costs (from inception)
£ million
Financial year Gross amount Net of VAT Collected and arranged
1993–94 104 — —
1994–95 169 — —
1995–96 180 — 301
1996–97 205 203 400
1997–98 209 208 574
1998–99 201 — 661

Notes:

  1. 1. All figures include an element for repayment to DHSS Northern Ireland in respect of Belfast CSAC.
  2. 2. Figures for 1996–97 and 1997–98—in accordance with HM Treasury instructions information was reported in the Appropriation Account net of VAT but for information both gross (which compare year on year) and net figures have been provided.