§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many investigations have been commenced into suspected fraud concerning Asylum
704Wwithin 50 feet of the centre of a highway, and (viii) an adult supervisor of a person under 14 making improper use of an airgun. [92267]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe information contained in the table gives the number of defendants proceeded against and convicted of the various firearms offences requested, in England and Wales, 1999 to 2001, apart from 'discharging a firearm within 50 feet of a highway', which is not separately identifiable on the Home Office Court Proceedings database.
Statistics for 2002 will be published in the autumn.
Support, and what the outcomes have been; and if he will make a statement about the arrangements in place to prevent Asylum Support fraud; [91210]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 8 January, ref. 88475, how many fraud investigators are employed by or contracted to the National Asylum Support Service; and 705W what arrangements are in place for advice and assistance from the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service to NASS; [91212]
(3) what arrangements are in place for referrals from the Benefit Fraud Hotline and the Targeting Fraud Website to be made to NASS fraud investigators in respect of cases of suspected Asylum Support fraud; and how many reports of suspected fraud have so far been received by NASS. [91211]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 16 January 2003]: About 40 staff are employed directly by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) to undertake fraud investigations. In the period April–December 2002 investigations were carried out into 3,161 cases of alleged benefit fraud. As a result of the investigation 1,286 support claimants had their NASS support terminated.
All asylum seekers are being issued with Application Registration Cards (ARCs) which contain photographs and biometric data. Arrangements are under way for NASS support to be paid via the person's ARC. This represents a more secure method of payment and will help to prevent fraud.
NASS has a full time liaison officer on secondment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to establish closer working links with that Department's Benefits Fraud Investigations unit. In addition NASS contributes to multi-agency operations aimed at combating illegal working in partnership with other Government Departments including the Department for Work and Pensions.
There are no formal arrangements for referring calls to the Benefit Fraud Hotline and the Targeting Fraud Website to NASS.