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Strong Local Voice, Strong Local ChampionAnnette Brooke, Lib Dem MP for Mid Dorset & North Poole |
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Son of CSA Set to Fail - Brooke
December 14, 2006 5:40 PM
Annette Brooke MP has strongly criticised the Government following the announcement today that the Child Support Agency will not be phased out until 2013. She commented; "The Government seems to be ducking fundamental reform, and proposing a son of CSA, which will simply be a re-badging of the existing Agency, with a few extras glued on.
Tinkering and gimmickry will fail to deliver the tough and effective new body which people expect."
"The idea that naming and shaming people on a website is the answer to the CSA's problems is absolutely daft, and just Government by gimmick.
"The CSA is a shambles, with £3.5bn owed to parents, and ¼ million cases awaiting processing for an average time of almost 500 days. The CSA has to spend £1 just to collect every £1.85 - it's a disgrace.
"The CSA should be incorporated into the HM Revenue and Customs so that it is easier to assess how much people should pay, and deduct money at source from non-payers."
"Proposing instead to use people's tax data from earlier years could mean using information which is 20 months out of date - causing more appeals and administrative chaos.
"If the Government wants to get really tough it should pursue non-payers who move abroad, and it must not write off a single penny of unpaid maintenance which has any chance of being collected." Said Annette.
As part of the reform procedure, the Government will write of 1.2 billion in unpaid debt.
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