CSA REVIEW SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH: MULHOLLAND

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Feb 2006

Responding to the statement in the House of Commons by John Hutton on the future of the Child Support Agency, Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West and member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, said:

"There is real anger in the country at the failures of the CSA and the Government's continuing inability to settle on a clear solution.

"It is absurd for the Government to have to establish yet another review about the future of the CSA, over a year after a previous review was established. Desperate families may now have to wait for 2 or 3 years more before the CSA is finally replaced.

"People are right to be angry when back office and support staff been cut at the CSA over the last year, despite recommendations that staff cuts should end.

"How on the earth could the Secretary of State and the CSA allow the time taken to deal with unprocessed new scheme cases rise from 337 days on average a year ago to 470 days now? When will the waiting time be back down to the target of 42 days?

"People wanted to hear today that there would be action and fundamental reform, but the Government is offering yet more patching and yet another review. That is just not good enough."