§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the areas which regional benefit investigation teams are to visit in Scotland in the coming months.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkI am unable to give this information for the reasons given in my reply to the hon. Member on Monday 13 February 1984 at c.33.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many officers are now engaged in (a) Scotland and (b) Britain on the work of regional benefit investigation teams.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe number of officers engaged on the work of these teams in Scotland is 10 and in the whole of Britain 93.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers who have been taken off benefit as a result of the activities of regional benefit investigation teams; what are the savings he estimates his Department has achieved; and what is the basis for the calculation of these savings.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkNobody has been 'taken off' benefit as a result of the activities of these teams. So far 4,345 claimants have voluntarily withdrawn their claims to benefit before investigations were completed. An estimate of benefit saved and the basis of calculation was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Cowans) on Monday 12 December 1983 at c.332–3