§ Mr. Denzil Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the Government's estimate of the saving in 1980–81, at 1979 survey prices, of expenditure on social security as a result of efforts to combat fraud and abuse of the social security system.
§ Mr. PrenticeThere are great difficulties in estimating the savings which will result from additional efforts against fraud and abuse, not least in that there is no way of assessing how long the fraud or abuse would have continued if it had not been detected. Nevertheless, we estimate that the additional manpower now 599W being devoted to this work should lead to savings broadly of the order of £50 million in 1980–81 at 1979 survey prices. It is not possible to quantify the continuing saving from the existing efforts against fraud and abuse.
§ Mr. Denzil Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much of the extra £231 million, at 1979 survey prices, of social security expenditure in 1980–81 is accounted for by the payment of benefits to the unemployed.
§ Mr. PrenticeAdditional payments to the unemployed of about £300 million over and above the provision made in 1979–80 are included in the social security programme total for 1980–81.