§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 20 March 2003,Official Report, column 931W, on the targeting fraud campaign, if he will provide comparable information on the cost of the targeting fraud campaign in each year since 1997 prior to September 2001; and what costs have accrued since March 2002. [107519]
§ Malcolm WicksThere was no expenditure on the targeting fraud campaign prior to 1999. Between 1997 and 1999 the Department undertook press and radio advertising to promote the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.
644WThe only costs accrued from April 1999 to March 2000 were for research in preparation for the targeting fraud campaign which began in May 2000. This came to a total of £234,020.
Costs accrued from April 2000 to March 2001
£ TV advertising 3,208,520 Press advertising 841,020 Radio advertising 588,701 Poster advertising 226,890 Production 186,482 Research (evaluation) 170,190 Total 5,221,803 Costs accrued from April 2001 to March 2002
£ TV advertising 5,061,680 Press advertising 1,119,651 Radio advertising 852,516 Poster advertising 1,006,781 Production 517,379 Research (evaluation) 257,150 Total 8,833,157 Costs accrued from April 2002 to March 2003
The majority of the costs in this period are preparatory and production work for the next phase of the targeting benefit fraud campaign which is due to start in the summer of 2003.
£ TV advertising 0 Press advertising 0 Radio advertising 34,315.42 Poster advertising 0 Production 594,249.19 Research (Evaluation) 140,436.25 Total 769,000.86