HC Deb 03 November 2003 vol 412 cc471-3W
Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress in transferring Child Support Agency cases from the old system of calculation to the proposed new system. [134211]

Mr. Pond

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) on 16 September 2003,Official Report, columns 696–97W.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions have been initiated in the last year for provision of false information to the Child Support Agency. [134341]

Mr. Pond

Since April 2002 the Child Support Agency has initiated 15 prosecutions against clients for providing false information. Of the 14 prosecutions that have currently been heard in court the defendant was found guilty in every case.

Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints were received per month from Child Support Agency clients(a) in the six months previous to the introduction of the new child support system and (b) in the last three months, in the latter case identifying how many of the complaints came from (i) clients of the old system and (ii) clients of the new system; what percentage of total clients the complaints represented per month; and if he will make a statement. [131447]

Mr. Pond

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Angus Robertson, dated 27 October 2003: The Secretary of State, in replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. You asked about the numbers of complaints received by the Agency in the 6 months prior to the introduction of the new child support system and in the last 3 months (identifying the number received from clients on the old and new systems) and what percentage of our total clients these figures equate to. The figures you requested are summarised in the following tables:

Complaints received prior to the introduction of the new child support system
Month Number of complaints received Percentage of total clients
September 1,238 0.11
October 1,318 0.12
November 1,263 0.12
December 958 0.09
January 1,316 0.12
February 1,515 0.15
Monthly Average 1,268 0.12

In April 2003 we changed our complaints handling processes. This has ensured the more accurate recording of complaints and ensured the recording for the first time of telephone complaints. I have included below information on written complaints only, for a more representative comparison. This new system has recorded the following number of complaints:

Complaints received in the three months up to August 2003
Month Total complaints received Percentage of total clients Written complaints received Percentage of total clients
June 2,174 0.21 1,666 0.16
July 2,684 0.24 2,017 0.18
August 2,320 0.19 1,725 0.14

It is not possible to make an exact split between complaints from clients within the old and new arrangements because the affairs of some clients span both.