HC Deb 14 December 1995 vol 268 cc785-6W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total number and cost of all forms of fraud affecting his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, as set out in the returns to Her Majesty's Treasury for departmental fraud for each year since 1990–91; and if he will make a statement. [6138]

Mr. Heald

The Department's annual returns to Her Majesty's Treasury for years 1990–91 to 1993–94 are set out in Table 1. Since the number of full-time fraud investigators dealing with departmental fraud was increased in 1993, the number of successful investigations has increased. The return for 1994–95 is set out in the table 2.

Table 1
Year Number of cases in which disciplinary action taken Loss to public funds
1990–91 14 £45,892
1991–92 8 £18,962
1992–93 22 £138,608
1993–94 15 £114,780

Table 2: Fraud established in completed investigations (1994–95)
Number
None 146
Travel and subsistence 11
False accounting 1
Failure to receipt 2
Unauthorised access 15
Unauthorised disclosure 3
Giro/order book fraud 6
Theft 2
False employment details 3
Other 13
Total completed 202
Total where fraud established 56
Established loss to public funds in 1994–95
Total £169.145.76