TWO Bolton MPs have welcomed plans to reform the controversial Child Support Agency.

Social Security Secretary Alistair Darling has targeted the agency as one of his top priorities for 1999.

Bolton South East Labour MP Dr Brian Iddon said: "This is marvellous news. I am very pleased.

"I have just received the result of a Mori poll from MPs which shows that the CSA is the biggest item in their postbags, like it is in mine.

"It is very hard to ever get a successful result with the CSA. Its like boxing a jellyfish. This is long overdue."

Bolton North East Labour MP David Crausby added: "I am very pleased about this. It's one of my top priorities too.

"It's a major concern of my constituents and I am fully behind the reforms, which are long overdue.

"What we need is a just system and currently there is no justice in the system. It's far too crude."

Confidence

Mr Darling has promised a "radical simplification" for the way payments from absent parents are calculated and enforced.

He is determined to restore public confidence in an agency whose blundering and bureaucracy has been blamed for a string of suicides and second marriage splits. Officials have been accused of relentlessly pursuing absent mums and dads for often grossly inflated payments.

Already two heads of the CSA, originally the responsibility of former Bury North MP Alistair Burt when he was a Junior Social Security Minister, have resigned because of the enormous pressure of the job.

Mr Darling said: "I am determined to create a child support system that is simple and straightforward to use and that parents can trust.

"It will produce the best interests of children and protect children's rights to the support of both parents.

"It is already clear that the proposals for a new, simpler and more transparent system have widespread support".

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.