(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the service level agreement between Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Child Support Agency on their data sharing arrangements.
[holding answer 10 June 2008]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mark Grimshaw, dated 17 June 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently out of the office on business, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Child Support Agency paid Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for referrals for income disclosure information in the last year for which figures are available. [209975]; and
If he will place in the Library a copy of the service level agreement between Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Child Support Agency on their data sharing arrangements. [209977]
The Child Support Agency paid a total of £627,000 to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in 2007/08 to cover the costs associated with information requests relating to the location of a non-resident parent as well as information relating to income. The Agency is unable to identify the costs relating solely to income disclosure.
It is worth noting that the transfer of funds from the Agency ensures both that cross-departmental service is provided at full economic costs in order for value for money to be demonstrated and that all costs associated with administering child maintenance are captured.
There are three service level agreements which relate to data sharing between Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Child Support Agency. These provide for information to be shared in respect of Tax Credits, National Insurance Contributions, and by the Debt Management and Banking Division. The latter replaces an earlier agreement with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and is currently in the process of being finalised.
These agreements are reviewed and revised regularly and therefore are liable to significant change over the course of the year. I have therefore arranged for copies of the service level agreements to be forwarded direct to you under separate cover.