HC Deb 24 October 1994 vol 248 cc423-4W
Sir David Knox

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters he has received concerning the Child Support Agency.

Mr. Burt

Between April 1993 and the end of September 1994, approximately 18,000 letters have been received at DSS headquarters covering a range of views about child support.

Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what factors led to the delay in assessing child maintenance by the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement on what proportion of assessments for lone mothers take more than six months.

Mr. Burt

A variety of factors were involved, including early operating difficulties and clients' response to the new arrangements.

The agency acknowledge that an unacceptable proportion of cases take more than six months to clear and is already taking action to improve processing times.

Mr. Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the operations of the Child Support Agency.

Mr. Burt

Despite acknowledged early difficulties, the performance of the agency has improved significantly during the first part of this year. I will be monitoring its performance very closely to ensure that such improvements continue.

Mr. Kevin Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the recommendation made by the Social Security Select

Mr. Burt

Research is now regularly conducted into the role of social security and its impact on those in low-income households. A list of research projects sponsored by the Department is published in the Social Security yearbooks, formerly the "DSS Handbook of Research and Development", copies of which are in the Library.

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