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17 Jul 2003 : Column 537W—continued

EU Directives

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work   and Pensions if he will list the EU directives implemented by the Department since 8 June 2001. [126600]

Mr. Pond: Since 8 June 2001 the Department for Work and Pensions has implemented the following EU Directives:


 
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European Constitution

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a)   colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) counterparts in the European Union about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European Constitution. [124785]

Mr. Pond: As part of the normal Whitehall process, the Department has had regular correspondence with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss all aspects of the Convention, including legislative competences. We have also had regular contact with member and accession states to discuss issues arising in the Convention. In line with exemptions 1 and 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not the normal practice of Governments to disclose details about internal discussions, or information whose disclosure would harm the conduct of international relations or affairs.

Fee-charging ATMs

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Answer of 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1036W, on fee-charging ATMs, what information is given by his Department to customers who change to direct payment about fee-charging ATMs; and if he will make a statement. [126906]

Mr. Pond: The letters and leaflets being issued to customers set out clearly their account options. It is for the customer to decide which account best meets their needs and circumstances. Customers who want to have their benefit or pension paid into a bank or building society account should discuss with their account provider the features of their chosen account.

Customers have a number of options as to how they access their money free of charge. Including, at the Post Office, over the counter at many banks and building societies, many ATMs and via the cashback facilities offered by retailers.

Fraud

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed to detect and prosecute suspected fraud in each of the last six years; and what the cost was of their employment. [124498]

Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire North-East (Mr. Heald), by my hon. Friend the former
 
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Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Malcolm Wicks), on the 12 December 2002, Official Report, column 502W.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have committed benefit fraud on two or more separate occasions since 1 April 2002; and of that number how many have had their benefit reduced under the two strikes provision of the Social Security Act 2001. [124504]

Mr. Pond: The provision to sanction people convicted of two separate benefit fraud offences in a three-year period, known as the 'two-strikes provision', came into force on 1 April 2002. This provision cannot be applied retrospectively and only applies to people who have committed, and then been convicted for, two separate benefit offences after that date.

To date, we have recorded five individuals who have committed and been convicted of benefit fraud on two or more occasions since 1 April 2002. In three of these cases a benefit sanction has been imposed. In the two other cases there is no current claim to a sanctionable benefit but these cases have been noted and a sanction will be imposed if they claim benefit in the next three years.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of fraud in (a) order books and (b) giros was in 2002–03, broken down by type of fraud; and if he will make a statement. [125265]

Mr. Pond: We estimate that total losses arising from the fraudulent encashment of order books and giro cheques during the year 2002–03 was £71.1 million.

The £21.4 million for giro cheque losses arises from three main sources. £1.8 million was lost from counterfeiting, £2.6 million from manipulation/forgery and £17.0 million from duplicate encashment/repudiation. £49.7 million was lost through fraudulent encashment of order books. It is not possible to break this figure down by type of fraud.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many instances there were of income support fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997; [124837]

(2) what the estimated cost of job seeker's allowance fraud in Scotland was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; [1248348]

(3) what the estimated cost of income support fraud in Scotland was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; [125320]

(4) how many instances there were of jobseeker's allowance fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997. [125321]

Mr. Pond: Information on the level of fraud in Scotland broken down by local authority is not available. However, information on the estimated level
 
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of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance in the whole of Scotland is in the following reports, copies of which are available in the Library:

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