HC Deb 15 January 2004 vol 416 cc838-40W
Mr. Weir

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many absent parents have subsequently been assessed for a change in circumstances by the Child Support Agency after failing to respond to a request for details of change of circumstances by post; [147472]

(2) what procedure is followed by the Child Support Agency to determine the accuracy of address information on absent parents when they receive no response to postal requests for information on change of circumstances; [147473]

(3) what recent discussions he has had with the Child Support Agency on procedures for contacting absent parents to ascertain changes in circumstances; [147474]

(4) how many requests to absent parents by the Child Support Agency for details of change of circumstances were sent by post in 2003; and how many were returned undelivered by the post office. [147475]

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 with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Michael Weir:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You asked the following questions: how many absent parents have subsequently been assessed for a change in circumstances by the Child Support Agency after failing to respond to a request for details of change of circumstances by post; what procedure is followed by the Child Support Agency to determine the accuracy of address information on absent parents when they receive no response to postal requests for information on change of circumstances; what recent discussions he has had with the Child Support Agency on procedures for contacting absent parents to ascertain changes in circumstances; how many requests to absent parents by the Child Support Agency for details of change of circumstances were sent by post in 2003; and how many were returned undelivered by the post office.

The Agency does not collect information about volumes of post issued or returned undelivered. If we have not received a response to postal requests for information and all other avenues for obtaining it have been exhausted, the case is referred to the Agency Inspectors for a visit to obtain this information. The Secretary of State and the Chief Executive of the Agency meet regularly to discuss all aspects of Agency business.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Plaskitt

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many Child Support Agency cases are now operating on the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments; [147994]

(2) how many Child Support Agency cases continue to operate on the original formula for calculation of maintenance payments. [147995]

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 with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. James Plaskitt:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You asked the following questions: how many CSA cases are now operating on the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments. and how many CSA cases continue to operate on the original formula for calculation of maintenance payments.

Regular reports on the progress of child support reform are made to the House. The most recent of these covered the period to 30 September. As of September there were 30,528 cases operating on the new formula and 882,800 cases operating on the original formula.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Plaskitt

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when he will begin the process of migrating existing cases to the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments; [147996]

(2) what criteria he will apply to the prioritisation of cases for migration to the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments; [147997]

(3) how long he expects the process of migration of cases to the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments to take. [147998]

Mr. Pond

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003.Official Report, column 1092W.

Plans for transferring the old scheme caseload to the new scheme have yet to be finalised.