HC Deb 02 March 1999 vol 326 cc709-10W
Mr. Duncan Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the expenditure on the advertisement of the Benefit Fraud Hotline has been in each month since May 1997. [73994]

Mr. Timms

Since May 1997 there have been two advertising campaigns for the National Benefit Fraud Hotline. The first was in March 1998 at a cost of £225,000 and the second started in October 1998 and is due to be completed at the end of March 1999 at a cost of £290,247.

Mr. Duncan Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many calls to the Benefit Fraud Hotline have been recorded in each month since May 1997. [73995]

Mr. Timms

The information is in the table.

Number of calls recorded at the National Benefit Fraud hotline since May 1997
Month/Year Number
May 1997 19,272
June 1997 16,272
July 1997 18,808
August 1997 14,755
September 1997 16,236
October 1997 13,202
November 1997 11,770
December 1997 10,829
January 1998 17,206
February 1998 15,780
March 1998 15,345
April 1998 19,007
May 1998 13,149
June 1998 13,692
July 1998 15,512
August 1998 11,104
September 1998 13,694
October 1998 12,805
November 1998 14,285
December 1998 12,160
January 1999 13,925