Child Support Agency (Hansard, 26 November 1996)

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases the Child Support Agency has dealt with, where the alleged absent parent disputes paternity, between January 1996 and October 1996. [4759]

§ Mr. Andrew Mitchell
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
221W
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency paternity disputes. Between January 1996 and September 1996, the Agency has had 13,863 cases of disputed paternity. In the same period 11,566 cases were cleared. Clearances include cases where the Agency has accepted the AAP's representations; cases cleared through the Courts and cases resolved by DNA Testing. I hope this is helpful.

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much in cash terms has been paid out in compensation by the Child Support Agency between April 1993 and October 1996. [4758]

§ Mr. Mitchell
The 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. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency compensatory payments. Between April 1993 and September 1996 the Child Support Agency has made compensatory payments totalling £747,100. I hope this is helpful.

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many alleged absent parents used the Child Support Agency's subsidised DNA testing procedure between its introduction and 31 October 1996. [4760]

§ Mr. Mitchell
The 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. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency DNA testing. The Agency introduced its Discounted DNA Scheme in July 1995 to give alleged absent parents (AAPs) a means to resolve paternity disputes quickly and without the need to go to Court. The company contracted to carry out the DNA testing, Cellmark, also carry out DNA tests directed by the courts. Between July 1995 and March 1996. 1,377 cases were referred for DNA testing. From April 1996 to the end of September 1996, 2,095 cases have been referred. Cases take an average of three weeks for the results to be produced by Cellmark, once samples have been provided. Of the cases tested between July 1995 and the end of September 1996, 88% were adjudged to be the absent parent. I hope this is helpful.

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many individual payments of compensation the Child Support Agency has made to people falsely identified as fathers; and how much in cash terms the total compensation has amounted to between April 1993 and October 1996; [4756]
(2) how many false identifications of fathers the Child Support Agency made during (a) 1993, (b) 1994, (c) 1995 and (d) between January 1996 and October 1996. [4755]

§ Mr. Mitchell
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
222W
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 25 November 1996: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about false identification of fathers and compensatory payments made by the Child Support Agency. You have asked how many "false identifications" of fathers the Child Support Agency has made during the years 1993 to 1997. The Agency does not collate figures of how many fathers have been falsely identified, but has monitored the numbers of incorrectly issued Maintenance Enquiry Forms (MEFs) since 1994. A MEF can be issued incorrectly where the parent with care (PWC) has given the Agency incorrect information or where the Agency has incorrectly traced the absent parent from incomplete information provided by the PWC. Where the Agency is at fault, compensation can be considered. The table attached gives an annual breakdown (financial year-April to March) of the numbers of MEFs that have been incorrectly issued from April 1994 to September 1996 and, to put the numbers in perspective, shows the total number of MEFs issued for each year and expresses the incorrect issue as a percentage. Since its launch in April 1993 to September 1996, the Agency has made 6 payments amounting to £600 in compensation relating to the incorrect issue of a maintenance enquiry form. I hope this is helpful.

Number of maintenance enquiry forms issued Number of incorrect maintenance enquiry forms issued Percentage of incorrect maintenance enquiry forms issued

1993–94 466,574 ¹n/a ¹n/a

1994–95 276,583 115 0.042

1995–96 185,459 45 0.024

1996–97² 103,480 9 0.009

¹ Figures have only been collated since April 1994.

² Latest available figures are to 30 September 1996.

	Number of maintenance enquiry forms issued	Number of incorrect maintenance enquiry forms issued	Percentage of incorrect maintenance enquiry forms issued
1993–94	466,574	¹n/a	¹n/a
1994–95	276,583	115	0.042
1995–96	185,459	45	0.024
1996–97²	103,480	9	0.009
¹ Figures have only been collated since April 1994.
² Latest available figures are to 30 September 1996.