§ Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the results and comments of the investigation by his officials at Southend into the illegal claiming of unemployment benefit; and whether he will give instructions for many more such inquiries to be put in hand so that major frauds against the taxpayer can be avoided.
§ Mr. BryanOne of the Department's special investigators recently examined the validity of unemployment benefit payments made to a number of persons who had been registered as unemployed at Southend. Evidence of fraud was found in six of the 289 cases examined. Prosecution is being considered. Investigation of suspected fraud is carried out mainly by local office staff of whom the equivalent of about 140 are at present engaged on this duty in the country as a whole. They are supported by 30 special investigators who undertake the more complex cases and also initiate larger inquiries such as the one at Southend. My Department will continue to carry out investigations of this kind wherever appropriate. A Committee of Inquiry into Abuse of Social Security Benefits is at present sitting under the Chairmanship of Sir Henry Fisher.