§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of benefit fraud in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings which will accrue from the initiative "Spotlight on Benefit Cheats". [14696]
§ Mr. HealdThe overall annual level of detected and undetected benefit fraud is currently estimated at approximately £4 billion.
Phase I of the spotlight campaigns, which ran from April to September 1996, generated more than £44 million in benefit savings. Phase II, which ran during November 1996, has generated £40.4 million. Phase III began on 3 February 1997.