§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Wales in each of the past seven years have been convicted of crimes related to the claiming of supplementary or unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. MellorInformation collected centrally does not distinguish offences of fraud or forgery involving supplementary or unemployment benefit. Records available to me which may be incomplete, on social security offences cover the summary offences of false statements or misrepresentations. To provide figures for all of the years requested would involve disproportionate cost so details for 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1984 only have been provided in the following table. Corresponding information for 1985 is not yet available.
Defendents found guilty of offences of making a false statement or misrepresentation contrary to the Supplementary Benefit Act 1976 or Family Income Supplement Act 1970 in Wales Numbers 1979 1,039 1981 593 1983 274 1984 230