§ Mr. BiffenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the monthly receipts to the Child Support Agency since April 1993. [32577]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to my right hon. Friend.
Letter from Steve Heminsley to Mr. John Biffen, dated 20 June 1996:
In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency receipts.The information requested is shown in the attached table and is an extract from the monthly analyses of the flow of funds through the Agency's Client Fund Bank Account. The figures represent the receipts paid into the Client Funds Bank Account. They do not include those contributions to maintenance which are deducted from absent parents on Income Support and offset against the parent with care on Income Support. The Agency is advised of these contributions on a regular basis by the Benefits Agency.I hope this is helpful.The Agency estimates that its normal head of work would be around 250,000 cases in the process of a maintenance assessment. As of 30 April 1996 the Agency was dealing with 422,454 cases in which action had not been fully completed. The Dudley Child Support Agency Centre had 66,097 cases awaiting action.Information on waiting times is not available in the format requested. The Agency does collect figures on the Secretary of State target to clear 60 per cent. of new maintenance assessments within 26 weeks. In April 1996, 53 per cent. of maintenance assessments had been cleared within 26 weeks.The Dudley Child Support Agency Centre, in line with all the Centres, recruits new staff on an ongoing basis to maintain staffing levels.I hope this is helpful.