HC Deb 25 January 1994 vol 236 cc181-2W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received on the subject of the Child Support Agency.

Mr. Burt

Between April 1993 and January 1994 the Department of Social Security headquarters and the Child Support Agency headquarters received in the region of 10,750 written representations covering a range of views about child support policy and Child Support Agency operations.

The number of written representations made to Child Support Agency centres and field offices could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the turnover of staff has been for each of the Child Support Agency centres in(a) England and (b) Wales.

Mr. Burt

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mrs. Llin Golding, dated 24 January 1994: I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking for details about the turnover of staff for each Child Support Agency Centre (CSAC) in England and Wales. There are four CSACs in England, and none in Wales. Staff turnover is shown in the following table. The figures show the staff in post at each CSAC on 18 January 1994, and the number of staff who have left since the Agency began on 5 April 1993. They include casual staff and staff employed on fixed term contracts.

CSAC Staff in post Departures
Birkenhead 592 7
Dudley 614 61
Hastings 690 62
Plymouth 576 29

I hope you find this information useful.

Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) full-time and (b) part-time staff the Child Support Agency employs in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

Mr. Burt

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mrs. Llin Golding, dated 24 January 1994: I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking for details about the staffing of the Child Support Agency in England and Wales. At 1 January 1994, the Agency employed 3,413 full-time and 688 part-time staff in England, and 99 full-time and 25 part-time staff in Wales. I hope you find this information useful.

Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost of providing office accommodation for the Child Support Agency in(a) England and (b) Wales.

Mr. Burt

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for South Hams (Mr. Steen) by the chief executive of the Child Support Agency on 17 December 1993 at columns1060–61.

Sir Ralph Howell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 14 January,Official Report, column 297, how many lone parents who were receiving no regular maintenance in April 1993 are now receiving maintenance as a result of action by the Child Support Agency.

Mr. Burt

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) by the chief executive of the Child Support Agency on Monday 24 January,Official Report, column 15.