§ 39. Mr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been found to be signing for benefit while working during each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThe number of people who have withdrawn their claims to benefit as a result of investigations by this Department's fraud investigators over the last five years is as follows:
Number 1984–85 22,500 1985–86 37,500 1986–87 59,500 1987–88 80,000 1988–89 86,895
§ 61. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his Department's exercise on the south coast of England to detect benefit fraud among seasonal workers in the tourism industry.
§ Mr. EggarThe south coast exercise, which was carried out between May and September 1989 and covered the area from Worthing to the New Forest, investigated possible benefit fraud amongst seasonal workers in the tourism industry. A total of 2,380 investigations were undertaken with 634 people withdrawing their claims to benefit. This resulted in net benefit savings of £487,750 and 31 prosecution cases, two of which are collusive employers.