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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the waiting times are for the completion of private law cases in each of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service regions. [194214] Margaret Hodge: There is an expectation that private law reports are completed within 10 to 12 weeks of the request date to CAFCASS. Teams that are unable to meet this requirement generally make arrangements with their courts to extend the timetable for preparing reports. At regional level and for Wales the times taken to complete reports, for the period 1 April to 30 June 2004, were as follows: East Midlands--four teams met the 10 to 12 week standard and one team met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable; Eastern--three teams met the 10 to 12 week standard and two teams met the extended 15 to 16 weeks timetable; Greater London--four teams met the 10 to 12 week standard, one team met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable, one team met the extended 15 to 16 weeks timetable, one team met the extended over 17 weeks timetable; North East--one team met the 10 to 12 week standard, two teams met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable and one team met the extended over 17 weeks timetable; North West--two teams met the 10 to 12 week standard, four teams met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable, four teams met the extended 15 to 16 weeks timetable and one team met the extended over 17 weeks timetable; South East--five teams met the 10 to 12 week standard, one team met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable and six teams met the extended 15 to 16 weeks timetable; South West--two teams met the 10 to 12 week standard, three teams met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable, one team met the extended 15 to 16 weeks timetable, two teams met the extended over 17 weeks timetable; West Midlands--three teams met the 10 to 12 week standard, two teams met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable and three teams met the extended 15 to 16 weeks timetable; Yorkshire and Humberside--10 teams met the 10 to 12 week standard and two teams met the extended 13 to 14 weeks timetable; Wales--nine teams met the 10 to 12 week standard. On a case by case basis timescales may be extended by the courts where the needs of the case require it. This would apply across all regions and is not related to resource issues. CAFCASS has been given an additional £12 million this year to improve performance. A new Board was appointed in April 2004 and a new Chief Executive was appointed on 1 September. They are committed to driving forward improvements in the service.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

194214; 426 c2099-100W;426 c2105-6W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

CAFCASS Contact orders Finance Family courts Standards

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk