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Asylum Seekers

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what modifications have been made to his Department's computers to accommodate bringing the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996, into effect; and what other costs have been incurred in respect of their implementation. [19112]

Mr. Roger Evans: The introduction of this legislation has not required modification to any of the Benefits Agency's computer systems.

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 164

Details of other costs involved are set out in the table:

Information on additional costs arising from the introduction of the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 for 1995-96

Benefit	Staffing cost(16)	Non-staffing cost(17)
	£	£
Disability Living Allowance/ Attendance Allowance	316,662	619,300
Disability Working Allowance	none	none
Family Credit	71,721	689,459
Income Support	none	none
Invalid Care Allowance	11,417	36,500
Severe Disablement Allowance	77,516	62,109
Total	477,316	1,407,368

(16) Reflects the additional administration costs arising from the introduction of this legislation.

(17) Reflects the costs arising from the development and delivery of training to operational staff; the redesign and printing of revised claim forms; the development and distribution of revised procedural guidance.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants have been refused benefit under the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 because (a) their cases have been determined since 5 February and (b) they did not claim asylum at the port; and how many of these cases involve children. [19116]

Mr. Evans: The information requested is not available.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines he has issued to local authorities in respect of the implementation of the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 with particular reference to children. [19117]

Mr. Evans: The Social Security (Persons From Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 came into force on 5 February 1996. Guidance to accompany the amending regulations was issued by this Department to all local authorities in January 1996, in advance of the implementation date. The guidance does not specifically refer to children as the new arrangements do not affect social service departments' responsibilities under the Children Act 1989.

Residential Care

Mr. MacGregor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many family homes were sold in the last year for which figures are available to help pay for nursing home and other residential long-term care. [17772]

Mr. Bowis: I have been asked to reply.

This information is not available centrally.

Benefit Fraud

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further measures he proposes to introduce to reduce the level of benefit fraud. [19338]

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 165

Mr. Lilley: As part of the five-year security strategy which I announced last July, and in the light of the results of benefit reviews of income support and housing benefit which suggest that around 10 per cent. of benefit claims are fraudulent, I propose;

(a) to double to 600,000 the number of home visits to check new claims for entitlement and review existing ones.


(b) to increase cross-checking of information about benefit claimant, both within DSS and with local authorities through a new computerised housing benefit central register, to detect fraud.


(c) to introduce from this autumn the benefit payment card which will virtually eliminate fraud in the payment system.


(d) to initiate a series of month-long local anti-fraud drives in major urban areas round the country, designed to give people who have just drifted into abusing the benefit system the chance to put their claim right and to catch those who choose not to do so. The drives will be preceded by two weeks of intensive local publicity, leading up to the launch of a "freephone" hotline to tell DSS staff in confidence about suspected fraud; local data-matching exercises; increased numbers of visits to claimants; use of bar-code scanners in post-office to detect stolen order books; and special drives on categories of employers and self-employed likely to be involved in benefit fraud.


(e) to launch three initiatives involving local authorities. First, a study of a unified computer system to share information with the Benefits Agency, which would help prevent housing benefit fraud. Secondly, a study looking at how best to prevent fraudulent housing benefit claims from entering the system, through improved, standardised methods and checks. Thirdly, encouraging local authorities to set up teams to work alongside the Benefits Agency to tackle organised housing benefit and council tax benefit fraud, sharing the expertise of the Benefits Agency in this field.


(f) to establish the benefit fraud investigation service on 1 April, through the merger of Employment Service and Benefits Agency security staff. About 1,100 Employment Service investigators will join the Benefits Agency.

I expect these changes to contribute to a new target for savings from anti-fraud activities of £1.5 billion in 1996-97.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Nigeria

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations the British high commission in Lagos made to other European embassies in Lagos regarding action to be taken by European Governments over the death sentence passed on Ken Saro-Wiwa; [18595]

(2) what discussions the British high commission in Lagos had with other European embassies in Lagos regarding the death sentence passed on Ken Saro-Wiwa. [18594]

Mr. Hanley: The British high commission in Lagos has regular meetings with European partners in Lagos. We consult closely on a wide range of human rights issues and continue to monitor the situation closely.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's plan to raise the violation of human rights in Nigeria at (a) the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and (b) other inter-governmental

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 166

conferences; and if he will support at the Commission on Human Rights the creation of a special rapporteur on violations of human rights in Nigeria. [18470]

Mr. Hanley: We are working with our EU and Commonwealth partners to secure a resolution on Nigeria at the UN Commission on Human Rights, including the appointment of a special rapporteur. In addition, we are members of the Commonwealth ministerial action group, which is considering a range of options to ensure that Nigeria takes steps to respect human rights.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of States for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the British high commissioner in Nigeria has made to the Nigerian Government relating to the judicial process faced by the 19 Ogonis currently on trial for murder. [18472]

Mr. Hanley: Our high commissioner has repeatedly made it clear to senior Nigerian Ministers that the international community expects the 19 Ogonis facing trial to be brought before a properly constituted court that respects their basic legal rights.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken (a) by his Department and (b) in co-operation with other Commonwealth countries to promote the improvement of human rights in Nigeria. [18471]

Mr. Hanley: We are working with our EU and Commonwealth partners to secure a resolution on Nigeria at the UN Commission on Human Rights, including the appointment of a special rapporteur. In addition, we are members of the Commonwealth ministerial action group, which is considering a range of options to ensure that Nigeria takes steps to respect human rights.

National Resources Institute

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what future progress there has been in deciding the future ownership of the National Resources Institute. [19551]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: I announced on 14 December that final bids for the NRI were being invited from three groups. Two final bids were received. Following detailed consideration of these in relation to the Government's objectives for the transfer, I have decided to give preferred bidder status to a consortium of the university of Edinburgh, the university of Greenwich, Imperial college of science, technology and medicine and Wye college of the university of London. Subject to the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations, I intend that the NRI should transfer to the new owners as soon as practicable.

Iraq

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of food and humanitarian aid by British or multilateral agencies has taken place in Iraq. [19059]

Mr. Hanley: Food and humanitarian aid is monitored by the Overseas Development Administration through visits to northern Iraq and through regular reporting by non-governmental organisations and multilateral agencies working in Iraq. The ODA also funds monitoring of multilateral water and sanitation projects in Baghdad-controlled Iraq.

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 167

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of sanctions on the health of the population of Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [19058]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Food and medicines are exempt from sanctions. However, Saddam Hussein's refusal either to comply with the requirements of relevant UN Security Council resolutions or to spend enough of the regime's resources on humanitarian supplies has caused much suffering in Iraq. He has also so far refused to implement UN Security Council resolution 986, which would allow the sale of Iraqi oil for humanitarian supplies, bringing much-needed relief to millions of Iraqis. Since 1991, we have provided £73 million of humanitarian aid to Iraq.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current value of Iraqi assets frozen in Britain; what the value was in 1991; and if he will make a statement. [19110]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The value of Iraqi assets on 1 January 1991 was US$1,363 million. The value at the end of September 1995, the latest figures available, was US$769 million. The figures for the value of Iraqi deposits in UK banks include private as well as Iraqi Government assets. Iraqi assets are frozen under the provisions of UN Security Council resolution 661, which was adopted on 6 August 1990.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts have been established with representatives of parties in northern Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [19057]

Mr. Davis: We maintain regular contacts with all the main parties in northern Iraq. We welcome the continuing ceasefire between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdish Democratic party, and support efforts to achieve a lasting agreement that has the backing of the parties in northern Iraq.

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