§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the categories of persons, or firms, which are the subject of investigation by the specialist fraud investigators employed by his Department.
§ Dr. BoysonOn average nearly 50 per cent. of the cases examined by specialist claims control teams are referred to them by the local office as a result of some suspicion. The remaining cases are selected on the basis of set criteria which have been drawn up to identify those cases where experience has shown there is a high risk of fraud.
71W
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he instructs specialist fraud investigators employed by his Department to produce proof of their official position before commencing an interview with a person or representative of a firm; and if he has had any complaints that these special investigators have, on occasions, failed to identify themselves before the interview.
§ Dr. BoysonSpecialist claims control officers do introduce themselves before commencing an interview and, like all members of the Department's visiting staff, carry documentary proof of their identity and official position which they are instructed to produce, if requested. I am not aware of any substantiated complaints having been received about specialist claims control staff failing to identify themselves before interview.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what complaints of harassment from persons in Scotland who are claimants of benefit from his Department, or from firms, who have been interviewed by members of the special fraud investigation section in his Department, have been received.
§ Dr. BoysonI have not been advised of any substantiated complaints of harassment having been received in respect of interviews conducted by specialist claims control officers in Scotland.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Official Report the fraud discovery rate of the cases investigated by the specialist fraud investigators operating in Scotland, and also express this in percentage terms of the total cases investigated.
§ Dr. BoysonBetween November 1981 and March 1984, benefit was adjusted in 2,063 cases investigated by specialist claims control staff in Scotland. This figure represents 33.4 per cent. of the total cases investigated.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the recorded savings in benefit in the six months from April 1983 after investigations of alleged fraud which were carried out by the specialist fraud investigators in his Department in Scotland; and what are the salary costs of the officers involved in these investigations.
§ Dr. BoysonIn the period of 24 weeks from 13 April to 27 September 1983, the estimated benefit savings from cases examined by specialist claims control officers in Scotland amounted to £817,000. For the method of calculation, I refer my hon. Friend to appendix A of the statement placed in the Library by my predecessor on 4 June 1981, at column407. The administrative cost for that period, including salaries and other on-costs, of the staff concerned is estimated at £119,000.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many fraud investigation officers from his Department will be operating in the Banff and Buchan district from 2 July; and what period the investigators will spend in the area.
§ Dr. BoysonTwo specialist claims control officers will be operating from the Peterhead local office from 3 July for a period of between four to eight weeks.