§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what has been the cost to the Exchequer of the Child Support Agency in each year since 1997. [105781]
§ Malcolm WicksThe figures are in the table.
£ million Year Administration costs of the Child Support Agency 1997–98 225.220 1998–99 230.534 1999–2000 260.333 2000–01 250.046 2001–02 285.468 Notes:
1. The figures are drawn from the Annual Reports and Accounts of the Child Support Agency for the years 1997–98 to 2001–02.
2. The figures represent:
For 1997–98 and 1998–99; the total operating costs for the year
Loss to public funds identified by investigations £ 2001–02 2000–01 1999–2000 1998–99 1997–98 Benefits Agency 208,823 44,309 389,874 430,780 918,790 Employment Service 1,045,977 — — — — Contributions Agency — — — 1,824 2,572 War Pensions Agency — 3,583 1,500 0 0 Information Technology Services Agency — — 8,325 10,942 20,959 Department of Social Security HQ — — 8,317 0 0 Child Support Agency 4,111 9,200 8,950 418 57 Departmental Directorates 620 14,019 — — — Appeals Service 203 — — — — Total Departmental Losses 1,259,734 71,111 416,966 443,964 942,378 (b)Theft:
The following table, based on calendar years, is a summary of information already provided in response to earlier PQs.
£ 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 Benefits Agency — 24,700 2,900 24,400 26,300 39,900 Employment Service — 89,500 55,100 — — — Contributions Agency — — — 7,100 12,900 13,100 War Pensions Agency — 160 0 7,000 1,200 — Information Technology Services Agency — — 6,500 23,400 16,200 4,600 Department of Social Security HQ — — 21,100 60,500 57,700 — Child Support Agency 23,400 211,700 71,700 58,700 58,000 82,300 Job Centre Plus 441,700 — — — — — Pensions Service 5,100 — — — — — Departmental Directorates 79,900 125,100 — — — — Appeals Service 10,500 8,800 3,000 — — — Total departmental losses 560,600 459,960 160,300 181,100 172,300 139,900 Notes:
1. Departmental Directorates were formed in 2000.
2. Contributions Agency transferred to Inland Revenue from April 1999.
3. Department of Social Security HQ was subsumed into Departmental Directorates in 2000.
4. The Information Technology Services Agency (ITSA) ceased to be an executive agency in April 2000.
5. 2001 and 2002 relate to the Department for Work and Pensions, previous years to Department of Social Security only.
596WFor 1999–2000 and 2001–01; the net operating costs
For 2001–02; the net administration costs
Costs increased by 26.8 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2001–02. By comparison, in the period from May 1997 to February 2002, the number of live cases with full maintenance assessments rose by 94.5 per cent. from 530,400 to 1,031,800.