§ Lord Harris of Greenwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Child Support Agency informed the wife of Mr. Kevin Collins, a Ministry of Defence policeman living in Plymouth, that her husband was the father of an illegitimate child, when it is now accepted that this information was false; what apologies have been offered; what changes of procedure have been instituted to avoid the repetition of such an incident; and whether the agency's policy is consistent with the Citizen's Charter.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Viscount Astor)The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the Chief Executive. She will write to the noble Lord and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Ros Hepplewhite, Chief Executive, Child Support Agency, to Lord Harris of Greenwich, dated October 1993:
Dear Lord Harris
As Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to Her Majesty's Government asking why the Agency informed the wife of Mr Kevin Collins that her husband was the father of an illegitimate child when it is now accepted that this information was false, and about other related matters.
The Agency wrote to Mr Collins in connection with an application for child maintenance. When Mr Collins' wife telephoned the Agency following receipt of this letter, the Agency, wrongly, advised her of the nature of its enquiries. The Agency takes very seriously the issue of confidentiality and I very much regret that confidentiality was not respected in this case. A letter apologising for the distress caused to Mr Collins and his 44WA family has been sent to Mr Collins by the Area Manager in Plymouth.
I am conscious of the sensitive nature of the Agency's work and the importance of avoiding errors of this kind. We are constantly monitoring and reviewing our performance and are determined to get it right. The Agency's Client Charter states that all information given to the Agency will be treated in confidence. Instructions of staff in relation to confidentiality are therefore being reviewed and staff have been emphatically reminded that client confidentiality must be respected at all times.
As you say, the Agency's enquiries revealed that Mr Collins was not the absent parent in the case concerned. Staff have therefore been issued with further guidance to ensure that a person said to be the absent parent is approached only if there is a reasonable certainty that the correct person has been identified.