HC Deb 15 July 1968 vol 768 cc1012-4
13. Mr. Tapsell

asked the Minister of Social Security when she intends to introduce measures to prevent abuses of the social services.

32. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Minister of Social Security when she intends to publish her proposals designed to deal with fraudulent claims for social security benefits.

Mrs. Hart

My Department has many well established checks designed to limit abuse of the schemes it administers. Plans are now well advanced to intensify these checks on able bodied unemployed people when they could reasonably be expected to find work. I shall indicate what these are very shortly.

Mr. Tapsell

While recognising that only a tiny minority cheat in this way, may I ask whether the right hon. Lady agrees, as she seemed to indicate in a recent speech in the country, that it is extremely important to maintain public confidence in the working of the social services by instituting the most rigorous safeguards against abuses of this kind?

Mrs. Hart

Yes, indeed. In the very interesting debate that we had on Friday, I think we all examined various aspects of the problem. I am very much concerned about the reflection on our social security system that arises in the minds of the general public when they observe this tiny minority of cheaters getting away with it. For this reason I am proposing to tighten up in one or two respects which I shall make clear shortly. But it is extremely important that we in this House at least get the right balance and understand that it is only a small minority.

Mr. Hamilton

Will the Minister consider breaking down as between the regions the figure of 451, which was the figure she gave in the debate last Friday? Is the Minister also aware that her interjection in the debate was very interesting in that she said there were certain ex-public schoolboys who were cheaters in this regard?

Mr. Winnick

Old Etonians!

Mr. Hamilton

Will the Minister give us the specific figure?

Mrs. Hart

Not without advance notice. It is certainly true, and it is within my own experience on the basis of visits to offices in the London area, that there is a very tiny minority. We are considering only small figures, but there is undoubtedly a tiny minority of very well educated middle-class boys in the London area who apparently regard it as their right to receive social security support. I am as concerned about them as I am about the cheaters we find in other regions of the country in social groups less fortunate than they.