§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of prosecutions for social security benefits fraud that have originated in any office of his Department's North-Western Region in the last 12 months; and in how many cases the amount due to be repaid to his Department was less than the amount by which the convicted person defrauded his Department.
§ Mr. OrmeThe information about the number of prosecutions in the North-West is not readily available and could be obtained and presented only at disproportionate cost. The amount for which a convicted person is liable to repay is always at least as much as the amount obtained by fraud.