§ Mr. HallTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effect of the work of the Child Support Agency on the work of the courts in Warrington South.
§ Mr. BurtImplementation of the Child Support Act will mean that assessment, collection and enforcement of child maintenance in the majority of cases will be for the Child Support Agency and not for the courts. However, the courts will retain responsibility in certain areas, such as the arrangement of spousal maintenance, in handling property settlements, and in matters deciding contact with children.
The Child Support Agency will not be fully operational until 1997. Offsetting the transfer of functions from the courts during the period to 1997 will be additional work involving the variation of existing court orders.
An assessment of the impact on the work of the courts in Warrington, South is not separately available.