§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the funding for the Departmental Programme Protection Fund for each year for which it has been budgeted; and what savings(a) it has achieved so far and (b) it is expected to achieve each year to meet the Public Service Agreement targets. [113790]
§ Mr. RookerThe Programme Protection Fund consists of money whose main purpose is to safeguard Social Security against fraud and error. The budget for the current financial year was £464 million, the actual level of spending will not be known until after the year ends. Funding for 2000–01 is currently being finalised.
One of the fund's main goals is to ensure the achievement of the Public Service Agreement target, to reduce fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance by 30 per cent. by March 2007, with at least a 10 per cent. reduction by March 2002. We do not yet have figures for this, the first, year in which the fund has been in operation. However, our initial expectations are that we shall achieve a reduction in the rate of 812W overpayments of 1.5 per cent. in 1999–2000, 3.5 per cent. in 2000–01 and 5 per cent. in 2001–02. We shall reconsider these figures in the light of performance in the first year.