§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why his Department required repayment of only £67.18 280W from Michael Anthony O'Neill convicted before the North Sefton magistrates of defrauding his Department of £253.15, in addition to a total fine of £70 on seven separate charges;
(2) why, in the case of seven Southport taxi drivers, Alma McCoy, Stephen John Green, Francis Green, Ivor Davies, Christopher Jackson, Robert Oakley, and John Wood, convicted before North Sefton magistrates of frauds on the Department of Health and Social Security totalling over £1,200, the above were required by his Department to pay total compensation of only £212;
(3) if he will explain his policy with regard to compensation to be repaid to his Department by persons convicted of defrauding his Department.
§ Mr. OrmeThe Department's policy is wherever appropriate to ask a court to award compensation orders within the court's powers. In some cases, which include the individual cases mentioned, the offences established in court, and therefore the compensation orders arising from them, may not cover the whole amount of the overpayment. One reason is that the frauds consist of a series of weekly offences and it is not practicable to bring charges in respect of every such offence. It is also the Department's policy to recover overpayments, including those for which compensation orders have not been obtained or do not cover the whole amount, wherever practicable—eg, where there are sufficient assets. Measures such as recovery from future benefit, if necessary over a number of years, are used as appropriate.
§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many police prosecutions have been made, in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, in respect of suspected frauds for social security benefits.
§ Mr. OrmeThe number of police prosecutions in 1976 in respect of offences involving social security benefit were 5,825 in England and Wales and 249 in Scotland. Most involved Girocheques or other instruments of payment.