§ Mr. LeslieTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the reports of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Southwark and Maidenhead councils; and what arrangements have been made to support local authorities in their efforts to counter Housing and Council Tax Benefit fraud through the promotion of good practice guidance. [128863]
§ Mr. RookerBenefit Fraud Inspectorate reports have been published today in respect of Southwark and Windsor and Maidenhead Councils. From these reports, and others, it is clear that many local authorities are failing to reach adequate standards of performance to secure Housing and Council Tax Benefit administration and counter the threat of fraud.
We have already introduced a number of initiatives aimed at helping councils and I am pleased to announce another measure that will provide practical support. The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) has today published its second Local Authority Good Practice Guide. This Guide 573W provides first hand experience from the BFI's inspection work and addresses a large range of issues. The BFI has worked closely with other Agencies as well as council staff to provide authorities with an in-depth understanding of what risks and threats they face, as well as various measures that can be taken to counter them.
This is an important step forward in the intelligence available to authorities and one I expect will be used. The BFI's reports provide an early warning on local authority benefit performance standards and I will be monitoring the progress of authorities taking up these good practices through future inspection reports.
Copies of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate reports and the Local Authority Good Practice Guide have been placed in the Library.