§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Scotland have been identified by the Child Support Agency as absent parents;118W what is the average length of stay away from the family home; and how many of the above have (a) given no financial support to the family and (b) given amounts of money irregularly. [24602]
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Letter from Tony Ward to Mrs. Maria Fyfe, dated 31 May 1995:
In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about details of the absent parents in Scotland.From a one per cent sample of the Agency's cases, it is estimated that as at 11 March 1995, 42,200 people living in Scotland had been identified as absent parents (APs). Of these, 29,900 had been assessed to pay child maintenance, 24,200 agreeing to pay through the CSA collection service, and the remaining 5,700 arranging to pay direct to the parent with care (PaWC). In these last cases, the Agency assumes that unless the PaWC advises to the contrary, child maintenance is paid in full.Of those APs using the collection service, 1,300 had paid child maintenance in full; 2,400 had paid part of the maintenance due; and 12,800 had paid no child maintenance in the previous 13 weeks. Action on the collection accounts had not been completed in the remaining 7,700 cases.No information is available on the average length of time that an AP stays away from the family home.I hope this is helpful.