Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (Hansard, 16 November 2000)

§ Mr. Davidson
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the local authorities in Scotland which have been inspected by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate, together with the dates when(a) these inspections began and (b) reports were issued.[137775]
785W

§ Mr. Rooker
The information is in the table.

Local authority Start date Publication date

East Dunbartonshire 19 January 1998 18 March 1999

Inverclyde 4 May 1998 12 February 1999

East Lothian 18 May 1998 18 March 1999

South Ayrshire 6 July 1998 18 March 1999

Dundee 2 November 1998 1 July 1999

Angus 28 June 1999 16 May 2000

Borders 5 July 1999 22 June 2000

Stirling 30 August 1999 22 June 2000

Edinburgh 30 November 1999 2 November 2000

Notes:

1. The start date shown is when the local authority is contacted with a request for information to assist with future planning of the inspection. The inspection start dates for inspections begun earlier than 1999 have been calculated as records did not hold actual start dates.

2. The current Benefit Fraud Inspectorate programme includes another two Scottish local authorities which are currently being inspected and a further four inspections of Scottish authorities that are due to be carried out by autumn 2001.

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those reports by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate which have had sections completely blanked out.[137726]

§ Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 10 November 2000]The information is in the list, which gives all the reports that have been published so far by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate, where a paragraph or more has been blanked out.
It should be noted that when the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate publishes reports it blanks out material which would be of assistance to fraudsters, unnecessarily identifies individuals, or is confidential. All reports so far have had some material blanked out, except the Securing Child Support (Child Support Agency) report published in July 1999.
Local Authority Reports
Blackpool

East Dunbartonshire

Eastbourne

Broxboume

Teesdale

Burnley

Leicester

Croydon

East Lothian

Elmbridge

Oldham

Thanet

Tower Hamlets

South Ayrshire

Telford and Wrekin

Trafford

Gateshead

East Devon

Stoke on Trent

Kirklees

Dundee

Richmond upon Thames

Swansea

Oxford

Bournemouth

Lichfield

Macclesfield
786W
Angus

Borders

Epsom

Berwick

Windsor and Maidenhead

Braintree

Camden

Tower Hamlets

Croydon

Sandwell

West Wiltshire

Powys

Wigan

Shrewsbury

Norwich

York

Calderdale

Rotherham

Ellesmere Port

St. Helens

South Lakes

Babergh

Barnet

Northampton

Sunderland

Gloucester

Rochford

Derbyshire Dales

Swale

Hart

Blyth Valley

Allerdale

Southwark

Congleton

Neath and Port Talbot

Brighton and Hove

Stirling

Eden

Lancaster

Harrow

Nottingham

Rochford

Bristol

Westminster

Agency Reports
BA: Area Directorate 3 (London South) Contributions Agency

Local authority	Start date	Publication date
East Dunbartonshire	19 January 1998	18 March 1999
Inverclyde	4 May 1998	12 February 1999
East Lothian	18 May 1998	18 March 1999
South Ayrshire	6 July 1998	18 March 1999
Dundee	2 November 1998	1 July 1999
Angus	28 June 1999	16 May 2000
Borders	5 July 1999	22 June 2000
Stirling	30 August 1999	22 June 2000
Edinburgh	30 November 1999	2 November 2000
Notes:
1. The start date shown is when the local authority is contacted with a request for information to assist with future planning of the inspection. The inspection start dates for inspections begun earlier than 1999 have been calculated as records did not hold actual start dates.
2. The current Benefit Fraud Inspectorate programme includes another two Scottish local authorities which are currently being inspected and a further four inspections of Scottish authorities that are due to be carried out by autumn 2001.