HC Deb 15 July 2003 vol 409 c249W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions following the introduction of direct payment for benefits, what measures he has introduced to. [119848]

Mr. Pond

Direct Payment is a more secure and efficient method of payment. We have been paying benefits into customers' accounts for many years. We have no evidence of weakness in the system of delivering Direct Payments to financial institutions once a payment has been authorised it is sent and received securely. The financial institutions already have robust security measures to safeguard cash withdrawals using plastic cards, including benefit payments, from their customers' accounts.