§ Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the second report of the chief child support officer; and if he will make a statement. [39869]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellHis report for 1994–95 is published today. The report shows that the CSA is making good and steady progress after a difficult start. The findings on the standard of adjudication show improvements over the first year, but that there is still some distance to go before standards may be regarded as generally acceptable. However, the chief child support officer, Mr. Ernie Hazlewood, recognises that there has been a high degree of legislative and operational changes over the last year and that this is bound to affect performance. He acknowledges the agency's obvious commitment to attaining good adjudication standards, which he expects to show further improvements in 1995–96. I am pleased to see that this improvement has continued strongly in the first half of this year.
The continuing requirement for further improvement is substantial, but the key elements are in place and he and I expect the agency to use them effectively to produce the standards which all concerned have a right to expect.