asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the Official Report the latest available estimate of the amount fraudulently claimed in social security benefits and break down this total between supplementary benefit and each of the national insurance benefits.
Detected fraud led to losses as follows in the financial year 1974–75:
| Benefit | £000 |
| Supplementary benefit | 1,353 |
| Sickness and invalidity benefit | 299 |
| Retirement pension | 25 |
| Unemployment benefit | 219 |
| Other national insurance benefits | 76 |
| Industrial injury benefits | 20 |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases in the last 12 months appeal tribunals have ruled that payments made to unemployed persons who are fit for work should be made conditional upon attendance at a re-establishment or training centre.
I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 27th January.—[Vol. 904, c. 178.]
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prosecutions have been brought by her Department in the last 12 months of persons in receipt of benefit considered to be making no effort to maintain themselves or their dependants; and what has been the range of penalties imposed on those convicted.
23 in 1975 resulting in 21 convictions with penalties as follows:
| Imprisonment and fine | 1 |
| Imprisonment | 7 |
| Suspended prison sentence | 2 |
| Fine | 3 |
| Probation | 3 |
| Conditional discharge | 1 |
| Admonishment | 3 |
| Sentence deferred | 1 |