§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 January,Official Report, column 738, how the totals for reduced benefit directions imposed by each Child Support Agency centre in respect of, (a) good cause accepted, (b) absent parent named and (c) good cause not accepted were arrived at for both the Belfast and Plymouth centres; and what procedures are adopted by his Department in the checking of statistics provided to the hon. Members in written parliamentary questions. [15122]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThis is a matter for the chief executive of the Child Support Agency, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Letter from Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 22 February 1996:
287WI am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about reduced benefit directions within the Child Support Agency.Having looked again at this set of tables, I can see that for the second time they include an error. Although the monthly entries in the columns you have mentioned are accurate, a mistake has occurred in the totalling of these entries. I am extremely sorry that this error passed unnoticed by me and my colleagues who had prepared the tables: the responsibility for it is mine.The Agency always aims to provide prompt and accurate responses to written parliamentary questions, and I cannot recall making one such error before, let alone two on the same set of figures. The procedures for checking statistical information supplied in written answers have been reviewed and made more stringent. This will guard against a similar error being made in future.I have enclosed a version of the full tables supplied by way of answer to your Parliamentary Question set out in Official Report, column 738. You will note that the relevant columns do now show their correct totals.Once again, please accept my apologies for the trouble you have had obtaining this information.288W289W
Good cause accepted Absent parent named Good cause not accepted Reduced benefit direction implemented Investigations completed Dudley April 335 63 580 311 978 May 503 98 617 306 1,218 June 450 243 820 389 1,513 July 493 354 548 265 1,395 August 576 371 749 531 1,696 September 541 370 599 464 1,510 October 619 391 682 384 1,692 November 568 386 595 386 1,549 Total 4,085 2,276 5,190 3,036 11,551 Hastings April 321 0 522 721 843 May 460 111 790 785 1,361 June 469 222 723 631 1,414 July 544 219 679 466 1,442 August 472 207 687 361 1,366 September 495 273 582 532 1,350 October 555 300 727 836 1,582 November 540 335 716 537 1,591 Total 3,856 1,667 5,426 4,869 10,949 Falkirk April 369 94 471 283 934 May 534 161 833 335 1,528 June 626 345 944 242 1,915 July 589 331 645 219 1,565 August 642 408 939 276 1,989 September 633 448 862 306 1,943 October 572 428 757 394 1,757 November 637 463 918 362 2,018 Total 4,602 2,678 6,369 2,417 13,649 Plymouth April 340 100 452 276 892 May 467 112 617 458 1,196 June 508 216 684 389 1,408 July 494 294 680 392 1,468 August 438 259 575 373 1,272 September 508 267 490 274 1,265 October 450 264 567 474 1,281 November 641 364 559 341 1,564 Total 3,846 1,876 4,624 2,977 10,346 Birkenhead April 389 96 470 510 955 May 556 185 615 511 1,356 June 592 287 713 445 1,592 July 625 361 786 278 1,772 August 582 334 637 430 1,553 September 678 428 686 455 1,792 October 722 536 775 401 2,033 November 801 567 951 382 2,319 Total 4,945 2,794 5,633 3,412 13,372 Belfast April 418 137 540 260 1,095 May 599 195 740 473 1,534 June 488 271 689 250 1,448 July 544 427 680 393 1,651 August 631 425 744 392 1,800 September 668 526 805 336 1,999 October 624 561 736 347 1,921 November 676 780 789 300 2,245 Total 4,648 3,322 5,723 2,751 13,693
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what targets are set by the Child Support Agency for time taken to reply to correspondence; and what progress has been made in attaining target levels. [15747]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated February 1996:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about targets set by the Child Support Agency for the time taken to reply to correspondence.The only firm target the Agency has for correspondence is the Departmental target of replying to MPs' letters within 20 working days. The table below shows the performance against this target, highlighting the improvements achieved in this area.
Chief Executive replies to MPs' letters Percentage 1–20 days 21–40 days Over 40 days September 1994 14 55 31 May 1995 56 44 0 December 1995 60 40 0 The Agency currently has a charter standard to reply to written enquiries from the public "within 10 working days". This is being revised. During 1994/95, the Agency replied to 35% of written enquiries within the charter standard. In 1995/96, the figure to the end of December was almost 40%.I hope this is helpful.