Children: Maintenance

Thursday 9th January 2014 Ministerial Corrections

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on plans to reduce the costs of the child maintenance system. [177137]

[Official Report, 27 November 2013, Vol. 571, c. 361W.]

Letter of correction from Steve Webb:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green) on 17 November 2013:

The full answer given was as follows:

[Steve Webb]

A significant amount of work has been undertaken since 2010-11 to reduce the costs of operating the child maintenance systems:

cost per £1 of child maintenance collected and arranged has fallen from 39 pence in 2010-11 to around 35 pence in 2011-12.

The statutory cost of each child benefiting has fallen from £488 in 2010-11 to £425 in 2011-12.

The net cost of administering child support on a comparable basis has fallen from £527 million in 2010-11 to £485 million in 2011-12.

These figures are available in the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12, which can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/221408/cmec-report-and-accounts-11-12.pdf

The correct answer should have been:

[Steve Webb]

A significant amount of work has been undertaken since 2010-11 to reduce the costs of operating the child maintenance systems:

cost per £1 of child maintenance collected and arranged has fallen from 39 pence in 2010-11 to around 35 pence in 2011-12.

The statutory cost of each child benefiting has fallen from £488 in 2010-11 to £425 in 2011-12.

The net cost of administering child support on a comparable basis has fallen from £513.2 million in 2010-11 to £484.5 million in 2011-12.

These figures are available in the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12, which can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/221408/cmec-report-and-accounts-11-12.pdf