§ Mr. Bob Dunnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of persons successfully prosecuted for social 251W security fraud in each of the last five years and place against each set of figures the number of inspectors appointed to secure such prosecutions.
§ Mr. RossiThe number of persons convicted for social security fraud in the five years 1975 to 1979 inclusive were:
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 15,006 18.711 25,615 28,575 25,672 The 1980 figures are not yet available.
Information about the numbers of full or part-time staff engaged on fraud duties during these five years is not available. However, the bulk of their work is concerned with detecting, investigating and stopping fraud. There is no question of"inspectors" being appointed"to secure prosecutions".
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stockport, North on 5 March, how many of the persons fined for offences for which the penalty is to be increased under the Social Security Bill were subsequently imprisoned for non-payment of the fine.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many of the 1,241 persons given a suspended prison sentence in 1979 for social security offences were eventually imprisoned;
2. how many of the 630 persons who were imprisoned in 1979 for social security offences were women with children of school age or under;
3.if he will provide the figures for the latest available month of the sex, offence and sentence of those people convicted of offences for which the fines and imprisonment terms are being increased in the Social Security Bill now before the House;
4. what was the average length of sentence of the 630 persons imprisoned in 1979 for social security offences.
§ Mr. RossiNone of this material is readily available, and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.