HC Deb 23 October 1995 vol 264 cc481-2W
Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the Child Support Agency's departures system for assessing the needs of absent parents with distant children will come into force. [37678]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell

We anticipate that the departure system will come into force towards the end of 1996. The exact date will be decided in the light of the pilot exercise which, once parliamentary approval is secured, should run from April until July 1996.

Ms Lynne

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 181, on the benefit savings achieved by the liable relatives unit in 1991–92, whether the figure provided includes an allowance for parents with care who ceased to claim income support within four weeks of being contacted by his Department or for parents with care who ceased to claim income support after maintenance had been arranged; and what would the like-for-like benefit saving figure be for the Child Support Agency in 1994–95. [37614]

Mr. Mitchell

The benefits savings figure for 1991–92 included amounts for cases where claims ceased within four weeks of the Department taking action to arrange, increase or enforce payment of maintenance. It included spousal maintenance recovery and related only to income support cases.

A direct comparison with 1991–92 is not possible because the agency makes benefit savings across all the income-related benefits and does not arrange spousal maintenance.

Ms Lynne

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the trend in the size of average maintenance awards paid by absent parents as a percentage of their total net income in the 10 year period before the creation of the Child Support Agency. [37585]

Mr. Mitchell

The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.