§ 55. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the reason for the fact that, while the number of fraudulent claims for supplementary benefit identified in Scotland last year increased, the number of prosecutions diminished.
§ Mr. DeanThe figures in my written reply on 2nd February to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr Oswald) refer to all social security benefits. Staffing difficulties in the Department in 1967 caused a backlog of cases awaiting consideration of proceedings. The subsequent resolution of those difficulties produced an exceptionally high number of submissions to the Procurator Fiscal in 1968, and this in turn resulted in an abnormal number of prosecutions concluded in 1969. In 1970 there were about 70 more submissions to the Procurator Fiscal than in 1969, but not all of these cases came to court during the year.—[Vol. 810, c.315.]