§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of claims investigated by social security special investigators during the latest six-month period available were concerned with unemployment benefit; and what 70W percentage of these claims proved fraudulent, in Scotland, and in England and Wales, respectively.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithI have been asked to reply.
Full-time special investigators of my Department investigate those claims to unemployment benefit where fraud is suspected or it is considered that opportunities for fraud exist. The percentage of claims investigated which proved to be fraudulent in the six months ending 31st December, 1971, was 25 per cent. in Scotland and 45 per cent. in England and Wales.