HC Deb 17 December 1997 vol 303 cc238-9W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the Child Support Agency is permitted to make inquiries of the Inland Revenue in respect of the financial income in cases involving absent parents. [20079]

Mr. Field

The Child Support Agency can obtain the address of the absent parent and details of his employer from the Inland Revenue for tracing purposes. However, under current legislation, financial details cannot be obtained. We are determined to ensure that the Child Support Agency provides an efficient and effective service and are looking at all aspects of its work to see where improvements can be made. We aim to bring forward proposals in the first half of next year.

Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absent parents are currently paying the minimum amount of child maintenance, as stipulated by the CSA, whilst they are receiving statutory(a) sick pay and (b) incapacity benefit. [20120]

Mr. Field

Absent parents receiving Statutory Sick Pay or Incapacity Benefit who are assessed to pay the minimum amount or less are exempt from payment.

Data from August 1997 show a small number of these cases with an assessment for the minimum amount. These will be cases where the absent parent has only recently started to receive statutory sick pay or incapacity benefit but the assessment has not yet been revised, and cases where payment of those benefits has ceased but the records have not yet been fully updated.