§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will require the Child Support Agency to provide evidence of its assessment of the financial status of(a) the parent in care and (b) the absent parent to either of the parties concerned if they request it. [127290]
§ Mr. PondThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Brian Jenkins, dated 15 September 2003:
The Secretary of State in replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.You ask if he will require the Child Support Agency to provide evidence of its assessment of the financial status of (a) the parent in care and (b) the absent parent to the parties concerned if they request it.The Agency is only concerned with the financial status of a parent with care and a non-resident parent to the extent to what this is relevant in meeting their statutory functions.An award notification is sent to both parties following a new or fresh calculation of maintenance liability. This notice provides information to enable both parties to understand how the amount has been arrived at, including the relevant income information. If either party wants to know more about the decision or they disagree, the notification advises them to contact the Agency who will then explain the decision in detail and answer any questions the client may have.