§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many girocheques issued by the Department of Health and Social Services are lost annually; how many are wrongly encashed; and what is the loss to the tax payer.
§ Mr. John PattenA total of about 5.8 million girocheques are issued annually by the Department of Health and Social Services Northern Ireland, of which about 4,000 are reported missing. Approximately 350 are wrongly encashed causing an estimated loss of £9,000.