asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department will include in its fraud statistics cases where persons have drawn full sickness benefit while receiving more than £9 a week for attending council meetings.

Any cases of this type in which fraud is suspected are included in my Department's fraud statistics but are not separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action his Department has taken in any cases in the last six months following the discovery that persons were drawing full sickness benefit incompatible with income from attending council meetings.

Any case of this type brought to our notice is investigated, recovery action is taken and, where fraud is suspected, prosecution is considered. I assume, however, that the hon. Member has a particular case in mind and I am sending him a copy of a statement that I made last week, to which I have nothing to add.