---

Planning

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what factors led to the exclusion of the area plans for the Down and Newry and Mourne district council areas from the Planning Agency's business case for the financial year 1996-97. [4264]

(2) what is the time scale for the commencement and execution of the work required in respect of the Down and Newry and Mourne area plans; [4265]

(3) when the business and corporate plan for the Planning Agency for 1997-98 will be published. [4266]

Mr. Murphy: Responsibility for this subject has been delegated to the Planning Service under its Chief Executive, Mr. T. W. Stewart. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from T. W. Stewart to Eddie McGrady, dated 20 June 1997:

Lord Dubs has asked me to reply to your questions about the Down and Newry and Mourne area plans, and also about the publication of the Planning Service's Corporate and Business Plan 1997-98.
Only Development Plans which were to be adopted in 1996-97 were included in the Agency's Business Plan for that year. The position is the same for the 1997-98 Business Plan, published ealrier this month, a copy of which is available in the Library. When drawing up plans for 1998-99 and future years, the programming of work on both plans will be taken into account in accordance with competing priorities and available resources. At present, there is no agreed time-scale for the commencement and execution of the work.
Although the notional end date for the Down Area Plan is late 1997 and for the Newry and Mourne Area Plan late 1999, they will remain material planning considerations in the determination of any planning applications submitted after those dates.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Benefit Fraud

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many cases of benefit fraud are currently (a) being investigated and (b) awaiting trial, as a result of people contacting the Benefit Fraud Hotline; and if he will make a statement; [1547]

(2) how many convictions have resulted from evidence gathered from the Benefit Fraud Hotline; and if he will make a statement; [1548]

(3) how many people have rung the Benefit Fraud Hotline in each month since it was introduced; and if she will make a statement. [1546]

Mr. Denham: Modernising the Social Security system is one of our key priorities. Our objective is to reduce poverty and welfare dependency and to promote work incentives. We will develop a system that supports work, savings and honesty. We will streamline services to provide better, simpler more efficient services to clients. We will be vigilant in tackling fraud, ensuring value for taxpayers' money and rebuilding confidence in the Social Security system.

The operation of the National Benefit Fraud Hotline is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to hon. Member.

25 Jun 1997 : Column: 564

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 24 June 1997:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning the Benefit Fraud Hotline.

There are 20,090 referrals from the National Benefit Fraud Hotline currently under investigation. The number of cases that have been referred for prosecution to date as a result of calls to the Hotline is 185.
The number of convictions arising from referrals to the Hotline is not collated.
The number of calls to the Hotline is shown in the attached table. Information is not yet available for May 1997.
I hope you find this reply helpful.

Number of calls to the national Benefit Fraud Hotline

Month	Duration	Number of calls
1996
August	4 weeks	41,826
September	5 weeks	32,633
October	4 weeks	22,360
November	4 weeks	21,805
December	4 weeks	14,139
1997
January	4 weeks	15,831
February	4 weeks	27,075
March	5 weeks	31,185
April	4 weeks	18,680




Figures are provisional and subject to change.

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the value of fraudulent claims uncovered by the Benefits Agency in each of the 13 area directorates for each of the last five years for which figures are available (a) in terms of the cash value of benefits saved and (b) as a percentage of total payments made for each of the benefits administered. [3214]

Mr. Denham: One of our key aims is to restore confidence in the benefit system by tackling fraud and ensuring value for taxpayers money. Queries on Benefits Agency operational matters are the responsibility of Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member. Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 23 June 1997:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question requesting the value of fraudulent claims uncovered by the Benefit Agency (BA) in each of the 13 area directorates for each of the last five years for which figures are available (a) in terms of the cash value of benefits saved and (b) as a percentage of total payments made for each of the benefits administered.
The information is not available in the format requested. Fraud savings are derived from more than one source including the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service (BFIS), Organised Fraud Investigations (OFI), Central Benefit Directorates and, from 1995/96, the Security and Control Programme. The differing organisational set up within these sections do not match the Area Directorate structure. However figures are available for total fraud savings for the BA and are shown in the attached Annex.
The savings are shown as Weekly Benefit Savings (WBS) and not in strict cash terms. WBS are calculated by multiplying the actual amount of benefit saved by 32 (32 weeks being the average length of time that benefit would have been paid, if it had not been reduced or withdrawn following the intervention of a fraud officer.)

25 Jun 1997 : Column: 565

While this gives an assessment of the amounts of benefit saved by counter fraud activity, it does not show the public expenditure savings accruing in that year from current and previous activity.
Changes were introduced in the 1996 budget to try and refine the way savings are accounted for in the public expenditure plans. Savings are no longer attributed wholly to the year in which the fraud is detected, but spread over the period which the fraud would otherwise on average have continued. Due to changes in accounting methods a direct comparison in cash terms with previous years is not possible.
We do not collate fraud savings separately by benefit type. Therefore fraud savings are expressed as a percentage of the total programme spend on all benefits for the last five years.
I hope you find this reply helpful.

Year	BA fraud (WBS) savings (£ billion)	BA programme expenditure (£ billion approximately)	Fraud savings (WBS) as a percentage of programme expenditure
1991-92	0.447	56	0.8
1992-93	0.558	62	0.9
1993-94	0.654	67	0.98
1994-95	0.717	70	1.02
1995-96	1.222	73	1.67




1. Figures are provisional and subject to change.

2. Both BA fraud savings/programme expenditure figures exclude those attributable to local authorities.

3. Savings figures for 1996-97 are not yet available.

Pensions Review

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is her policy that the reform of social security currently being considered by the Government should benefit individuals currently in receipt of pensions as well as those who are not yet pensioners. [2295]

Mr. Denham: The Government believes that all pensioners should share fairly in increasing national prosperity. We will set up a review of the central areas of insecurity for elderly people: all aspects of the basic pension and its value, second pensions including SERPS, and community care.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to reinstate benefits for asylum seekers. [2439]

Mr. Bradley: We are committed to a wide ranging review of Social Security: our aim is to encourage independence and reduce poverty. The position of asylum seekers will be considered as part of this review.

Following the Home Secretary's declaration on 16 May 1997 of Zaire as a country of upheaval, a Zairean national who entered previously and applies for asylum within three months of the declaration being made, is eligible to claim income support, income based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit while his or her asylum application is considered by the Home Office.

Platform for Action

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will publish an annual Government report on the progress of the 1995 Platform for Action; and if she will make a statement. [3917]

25 Jun 1997 : Column: 566

Ms Ruddock: We will be publishing an annual Government report on the progress of the Platform for Action. The Platform for Action was the outcome document of the United Nations' 4th World Conference on Women. It covers matters of concern to women and girls in all areas of policy and has set the agenda for governments and non-governmental organisations as they work to promote equality between women and men. We are fully committed to its implementation.

---