http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as you can, be nuisance on the 
phone, call them and just try and tie up as much of their day as you can 
with anything you can. Any info they request send it in filled in Yellow ink 
so it can't be photocopied, if you haven't already done so write and ask for 
you files under the data protecting act if you have and it was years ago, do 
it again, if you have any information about any of their dirty tricks e-mail 
me at fletcherhere@pantsyahoo.co.uk (remove pants spam block)


 wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

Government attempts to reform the child support system have been
described as the "greatest public administration disaster of recent
times".

(Advertisement)
A report by the Commons public accounts committee blamed poor project
management, a failure to deal effectively with IT suppliers, and poor
financial management at both the Department of Work and Pensions and
the Child Support Agency.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the government would have to keep
"an iron grip" on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
when it replaced the CSA next year.

The agency was established in 1993 and by October last year one in
four of the applications it had received since 2003 were still waiting
to be cleared.

In the same year there was a backlog of 250,000 cases, £3.5bn in
maintenance had not been collected, with 60 per cent deemed
uncollectible, and in 2005-06 a total of 55,000 complaints were
received.

In 2003 the government introduced reforms to the system, but the
report found them to have been ambitious and unrealistic.

New IT and telephone systems carried a high level of risk because of
their size and complexity, and had been attempted when the agency was
already struggling with a substantial business restructuring, the
report said.

"The reform of the Child Support Agency has been one of the greatest
public administration disasters of recent times," Leigh said.

"The agency threw huge sums of money at a new IT system which was
intended to underpin the reforms.

"The Department for Work and Pensions never really knew what it was
doing in dealing with the contractors EDS and the system was a turkey
from day one.

"Three years after it was introduced, it still had 500 defects and
staff confidence has been seriously damaged.

"The department also spent £91m on bringing in external advisers but
there are no records of where more than a third of this money went."

In February 2006 a new chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, put together
a plan to tackle the backlog of cases, but by the end of the year the
government had decided to replace the agency with the new commission.

Leigh said: "It took 13 years of failure for the department to reach
the conclusion that the agency was not fit for purpose. During this
time, thousands of children suffered; as thousands of absent parents
have neglected their duties.

"In 2008 the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will replace
the CSA. But it is by no means clear how this will benefit citizens or
regain the confidence of those the agency was intended to help.

"The government must keep an iron grip on this new organisation to
ensure that the lessons have been learned from the CSA debacle."

The committee's warning has been echoed by Mark Serwotka, the general
secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

"To avoid the child support reforms simply becoming a re-branding
exercise, the government need to ensure that both CMEC and the CSA are
properly resourced and that staff have the tools to do the job," he
said.

On Wednesday the government paved the way for the creation of CMEC
with a second reading debate on the Child Maintenance and Other
Payments Bill.

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a
clean break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are
replacing the CSA with a radically different child maintenance
system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift
children out of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce
responsibilities, and deliver value for taxpayers."



Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1183627647.990562.91690@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20070704/tpl-mps-condemn-csa-failings-0a1c1a1.html

<snip>

I think this new organisation will fail too. Same tactics, different name.

Unconditionally take money from one parent (based on income level) and give 
it to the parent who got custody of the kids (Usually the mother).

Is it just me or can anyone else see what this is promoting?

<sigh>

Thanks again for the link Martin.

I despair, I had hoped Peter Hail might actually bring something new to the 
table but looks like he's peddling the same old party bullshit song so 
nothing is going to change at all!
[snip]

Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain said the body would mark a clean 
break with the past.

"We know that previous reforms have not worked. That is why we are replacing 
the CSA with a radically different child maintenance system," he said.

"We have learnt lessons from the past. The new system will lift children out 
of poverty, give power and choice to parents, enforce responsibilities, and 
deliver value for taxpayers."

[snip]

There is nothing radical about anyone off it other than their vile bludgeon 
tactics like name and shame, jackbooted bailiffs, and lunatic discriminatory 
plans to remove passports!

The actual system is still fully intact as far I can see.

I was all so appalled to read "The department also spent £91m on bringing in 
external advisers but there are no records of where more than a third of 
this money went."

So who filled their pockets with that little bundle, confirms my suspicions 
they are thieving bastards from top to bottom.

I'm afraid we just have to keep fighting them in any way we can and I would 
urge everyone to try and cause as much havoc as y