HC Deb 24 May 1994 vol 244 cc103-4W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what costs have been incurred by the Child Support Agency in hotel accommodation and services provided to staff since the agency was established.

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 Mr. David Hinc,hliffe, dated 23 May 1994: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about hotel and accommodation costs incurred by the Child Support Agency. Such costs are charged to different budgets, for example training or travel and subsistence, depending on the nature of the expenditure. To establish the hotel cost element from the various budgets and provide the information you require would involve detailed clerical analysis of all staff expenses claims and payments made over the past year at the Agency's headquarters, centres and some of the district offices. This would involve disproportionate cost to the Agency. I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has available to show the number of parents with care whose incomes have increased as a result of Child Support Agency involvement in maintenance arrangements.

Mr. Burt

It is not possible to collate this information from records held by the Department.

The Child Support Agency does not collect maintenance on behalf of the parent with care—PWC—in all the cases where it has assessed the level of maintenance to be paid. Where the agency is not providing a collection service there is no record of the amount or frequency of payments made and therefore no record of whether the overall income of the PWC has increased.