Housing Benefit (Hansard, 6 December 1993)

§ 21. Mr. Dykes
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to stop fraudulent claims of housing benefit.

§ Mr. Burt
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently announced improved incentives which will encourage local authorities to increase their efforts against fraud. Local authorities will now be able to share to a greater extent in the savings produced through the detection of fraud. Subsidy reductions, next year, will be targeted at authorities that do little or nothing to uncover fraud.

§ Mr. Harry Greenway
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was paid in housing benefit(a) nationally and (b) in the London borough of Ealing in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Burt
The available information is in the table.

Housing benefit paid nationally Housing benefit paid in the London borough of Ealing

£ million £ million

1989–90 n/a 36

1990–91 4,941 42

1991–92 6,058 69

1992–93 ¹7,348 Not yet available

¹ Estimated outturn.

	Housing benefit paid nationally	Housing benefit paid in the London borough of Ealing
	£ million	£ million
1989–90	n/a	36
1990–91	4,941	42
1991–92	6,058	69
1992–93	¹7,348	Not yet available
¹ Estimated outturn.