§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions social security fraud was detected in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each of the past three years; how many persons were proceeded against; and of these how many were convicted by the courts.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
422Wchild support maintenance. Therefore, the Government believe it is reasonable to take some account of a parent's actual contributions to occupational or personal pension schemes.
However, it would not be right to allow individuals to forgo current income in order to benefit themselves at a later date, and thereby to reduce the maintenance payable for their children. Taking some account of pension contributions is justified as the individual will stand to gain through enhanced pension entitlement.
There is no straightforward way of achieving a similar result for a person who is a member of a non-contributory scheme because actual contributions would be difficult to ascertain.