HC Deb 16 February 1994 vol 237 cc855-6W
Mr. Clifford Forsythe

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Child Support Agency applications have failed to be enforced because of the absent parent(a) leaving and (b) being outside the legal jurisdiction of the agency.

Mr. Ancram

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Child Support Agency under its Chief Executive, Patrick Devlin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mr. P. Devlin to Mr. Clifford Forsythe, dated 16 February 1994:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me to reply to your question about the number of Child Support Agency applications that have failed to be enforced because of the absent parent being outside the jurisdiction of the Agency.

Information on the number of absent parents leaving the jurisdiction is not collected routinely and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Of the applications processed to date, 159 could not be pursued because the absent parent was outside the jurisdiction of the Agency.

I hope you find this information useful.