To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many computer runs to detect multiple share applications for British Gas shares by fuzzy matching and other computerised techniques have been carried out in each year from 1986 to 1989 and in 1990 to date;(2) what has been the estimated average cost of each computer run to detect multiple share applications for British Gas.

Work since 1987 has been carried out by the police, not by my department. Information in the form requested is not readily available.