§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on progress with the investigations into abuses of the Individual Learning Account scheme; and in how many cases money has been recovered from ILA providers who abused the scheme. [48254]
§ John Healey[holding answer 10 April 2002]: In respect of current investigations, 117 learning providers have been passed to the Department's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Following detailed SIU work, 80 of these have been referred to nine different police forces: Cheshire, City of London, Cumbria, Dorset, Kent, Leicestershire, Metropolitan, National Crime Squad and West Midlands and the SIU are discussing a further 16 with the police. To date police have made 45 arrests that have resulted in 8 accepting cautions and charges being brought against 13 individuals, 12 of whom are awaiting court appearances and one person has been convicted.
A total of £4.47 million of payments are withheld from the 80 providers referred to the police and the 16 SIU are discussing with the police.