§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reasons he attributes to the increase in the amount of City fraud under investigation between 1981 and 1984; how many separate cases are being investigated involving the years 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985; and what is the total amount of money involved in each year.
§ Mr. MellorI presume the hon. Member has in mind the figures published in the recent report of the Fraud Trials Committee (page 245) which were discussed in that report. I am informed by the Commissioner of Police for the City of London that the only additional information which can be provided without incurring disproportionate cost is that given in the following table, which shows the number of new investigations into fraud in the City started each year by the company fraud department. These figures are consistent with the reply given to a question from the 569W hon. Member for Thurrock (Dr. McDonald) on 6 December 1985, at column 358. They have narrower coverage than the figures published in the Roskill report because they do not include cases where after the initial investigation the police were not satisfied that an offence had been committed and because they also exclude a small number of cases investigated on behalf of provincial forces or overseas law enforcement agencies where the alleged offence was committed outside of the City.
New investigations into City fraud started by the City of London police Number 1981 54 1982 60 1983 61 1984 91 1985 81