§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report the numbers of staff employed in employment benefit fraud investigations for each year from 1979 to the latest available year.
§ Mr. NichollsMy Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
The number of fraud investigators employed by my Department each year since 1984 is as follows:
Number 1984–85 450 1985–86 650 1986–87 720 1987–88 785 1988–89 820 In addition a number of other staff are engaged, on either a part-time or full-time basis, as support staff to these investigations.
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report the total number of prosecutions for employment benefit fraud for each of the years from 1979 to the most recent year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. NichollsMy Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
The number of prosecutions for benefit fraud for each year since 1984 is as follows:
Number 1984–85 2,250 1985–86 2,800 1986–87 3,650 1987–88 3,960 1988–89 4,045
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report an estimate of the total amount of money lost through benefit fraud in 1988.
§ Mr. NichollsNo reliable figure is available of the money lost through benefit fraud in 1988 because the full extent of the fraud that is occurring is not known.
As a result of investigations during 1988, however, the estimated net savings to public funds were £65 million.