§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of single mothers who have withdrawn claims for child benefit in each single year since 1979, the number of case papers which have been requested from benefit officers' staff by social security fraud squad officers in each single year since 1979; and if he will list the total number of officers who have been employed by his Department as fraud squad investigators during the same period giving a breakdown of the regions of the country to which they have been assigned.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the saving in public expenditure would be if child benefit was paid at full-rate to people 286W earning up to £100 per week and at half-rate to people earning between £100 and £150 per week and no child benefit when earnings exceed £150 per week.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to the reply, 14 November, 1985, c. 286]: The information is not available as requested. Based on families' gross earnings at the levels quoted, the net saving of child benefit (including one parent benefit) would be about £3 billion. There would be considerable extra administration costs arising from the need to subject the 7 million families receiving child benefit to an incomes test.