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7 Nov 2005 : Column 200W—continued
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the level of (a) detected and (b) undetected benefit fraud in Northern Ireland in each year since 1998. [24148]
Mr. Hanson: The information is as follows.
The information requested is available only from April 2000. The following table shows the number of detected fraud cases for each year since April 2000 and the amount of benefit overpaid in those cases:
Total number | Value of overpayments (£ million) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 231 | 0.56 |
| 2001–02 | 492 | 1.59 |
| 2002–03 | 394 | 1.58 |
| 2003–04 | 367 | 1.90 |
| 2004–05 | 485 | 3.35 |
| 2005(58) | 306 | 3.32 |
(58) To 31 October 2005
The estimated value of undetected benefit fraud is set out in the following table. The information requested is available only from 2000–01 year. The table shows the estimate of undetected fraud as a monetary value and as a percentage of benefit expenditure.
| Total value (£ million) | Value as percentage of benefit expenditure | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 46.06 | 1.5 |
| 2001–02 | 60.45 | 1.9 |
| 2002–03 | 32.29 | 1.0 |
| 2003–04 | 36.62 | 1.2 |
| 2004–05 | 23.74 | 0.7 |
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were convicted of benefit fraud in each year since 1998. [24149]
Mr. Hanson: The Social Security Agency is committed to a robust approach to tackling fraud and deploys a series of sanctions against offenders:
Acceptance of a caution or administrative penalty is an admission by the person that benefit was claimed illegally. Information on numbers who have been through this process is available only from the 2000–01 financial year, as follows:
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005-year to date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Successful prosecutions | 231 | 465 | 322 | 237 | 234 | 107 |
| Administrative penalties | 10 | 11 | 49 | 102 | 168 | 153 |
| Formal cautions | 0 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 83 | 46 |
| Total | 241 | 492 | 394 | 367 | 485 | 306 |
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Blind and Partially-sighted People
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to provide (a) enhanced social care and rehabilitation services and (b) additional resources in rehabilitation worker training and support to help blind and partially-sighted people in Northern Ireland. [25045]
Mr. Woodward: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is currently engaged in a consultation process which will help highlight the steps needed to provide enhanced social care and rehabilitation services for blind and partially sighted people and determine the resources required.
Breast Cancer
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is taking to promote breast cancer awareness among women aged (a) 18 to 25 years and (b) 65 to 75 years. [23381]
Mr. Woodward: Women in the age group 65 to 75 years of age will have had the opportunity to participate in the Department's breast screening programme (for women aged 50 to 64) and may continue, if they wish, to be screened after age 65. It is the Department's intention to extend the screening programme to all women in the age group 65–70, as soon as possible.
In March 2003, my Department's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Henrietta Campbell announced the launch of three new leaflets about breast awareness/breast screening. One of these Looking for Changes" is intended for women of all ages and copies were sent to every GP and practice manager in Northern Ireland, as well as to health promotion units in all four health and social services boards. This leaflet is available in five different languages. Among other things, the leaflet encourages women to make an appointment with their GP if they become aware of any changes in their breasts. Breast cancer is rare in women aged 18–25 years old.
Buckley Report
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the costs incurred in commissioning and producing Sir Michael Buckley's report regarding the University of Ulster. [23079]
Angela E. Smith: I am informed by the University that the estimated cost incurred in commissioning and producing Sir Michael Buckley's report regarding the University of Ulster was £8,560 excluding value added tax. This includes all payments to Sir Michael Buckley.
The University's Council was provided with a legal opinion on the contents of the report at a cost of £900, excluding value added tax.
C8
Lady Hermon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the process of evidence location and collation by the policing unit designated C8 has been completed; whether the collection and
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centralisation of located evidence has commenced; and whether the evidence will be assembled and centralised in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain. [24013]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised that part of the Historical Enquiry Team's (C8) setting up process has been to locate and catalogue all the case papers, correspondence and exhibits that remain from the period under review (between 1968 and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998). A thorough search process was required, and the method chosen by the police as the most comprehensive and least disruptive to day to day policing was to employ a team of dedicated searchers, controlled centrally by the HET. This team, comprising of agency staff on short-term contracts, commenced work in March 2005 with a remit to search every police building of the PSNI estate. The Forensic Science Agency of Northern Ireland commenced a parallel search of its own, to complement the HET undertaking.
The search of all 29 PSNI district command units and HQ premises is due for completion by mid November 2005. It has been conducted in close collaboration with the setting up of the PSNI central storage facility, where all items will eventually be stored. The items recovered will be retained in Northern Ireland to facilitate the review process to be completed by the HET.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the staff employed in the policing unit designated C8 are (a) serving police officers and (b) former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary; and how many are (i) members and (ii) former members of other police forces. [24030]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised that, at present, there are:
(a) five serving police officers on the Historical Enquiry Team (C8); four from the Metropolitan police and one from Strathclyde police. These officers are the senior managers of the team and have been recruited to assist in it's design;
(b) two retired members of the PSNI/RUC employed on a contractual basis; one senior manager to provide local knowledge and intelligence and the other, a specialist in family liaison work. Since inception, 40 former PSNI/RUC staff have also been supplied by an agency to work on the search process and provide administrative support; and
(c) two former members of other police forces; the head of the unit is a recently retired commander from the Metropolitan police, and a retired detective superintendent from the MPS is contracted to advise on establishing a review and family liaison process.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) role and (b) task is of the policing unit designated C8; what progress has been made by this unit towards the completion of its task; and how many people are employed within this unit, broken down by rank. [24031]
Mr. Woodward:
The role of the Historical Enquiry Team (C8) is to re-examine all unresolved deaths in Northern Ireland attributable to the security situation between 1968 and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
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The HET has defined its task as:
To assist in bringing 'closure', where possible, to the families of victims of an unresolved death, during this period;
To re-examine all deaths attributable to 'The Troubles' and ensure that all investigative and evidential opportunities are examined and exploited in a manner that satisfies the PSNI's obligation of an 'Effective Investigation' (article 2, Code of Ethics for PSNI); and
The HET was established in April 2005, and is due to become operational on 9 January 2006. The intervening period has seen preparatory work including refurbishing and equipping the Sprucefield PSNI site as its base; a search process to recover and catalogue case files, correspondence and exhibits; preparation of policies and protocols for conduct of reviews and re-investigations; interviewing and appointing staff and negotiating for their secondment; introducing arrangements with other agencies to gather information, evidence and trace individuals; and working with families who have come
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forward already. The HET has also been in consultation with many families direct, and with non-government organisations and lawyers representing families.
At present there are 23 staff on HET daily work, including one head of unit, (senior civil servant grade), one detective superintendent, three detective chief inspectors, one detective sergeant, and 17 civilian staff providing administrative and ancillary support. A further 32 agency staff (ungraded) are employed on the search process.
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