asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will place in the Library a copy of the efficiency study on overpayments of benefits, mentioned in paragraph 6.18 of "Reform of Social Security", volume 2, Cmnd. 9518.

The efficiency study was mainly concerned with the organisation of and procedures for dealing with the recovery of overpaid benefits, including overpayments where fraud is involved. It would not be in the public interest to publish the report as a whole, but we will consider whether some parts of it could be made available as the hon. Member asks.