To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of benefit fraud in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997. [105281]

Our most recent estimate is that £2 billion is lost annually through benefit fraud in Great Britain. This estimate cannot be broken down for individual areas or years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the incidence of organised fraud in connection (a) with each benefit and (b) in total was in each year since 1977; and if he will make a statement. [92298]

Information on the incidence of organised fraud is not available. However, the information available on the number of investigations carried out and the resulting prosecutions by Counter-Fraud Investigation Division (Operations), who deal exclusively with organised fraud, is in the table. Records are not held prior to 1998–99.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent measures he has taken to reduce fraudulent claims for benefits. [96532]

Our strategy for combating benefit fraud focuses on making correct benefit payments in the first place; ensuring payments are adjusted as circumstances change; detecting when payments go wrong and taking prompt action to correct them with appropriate penalties to prevent a recurrence.Jobcentre Plus is providing a more comprehensive and integrated service for all benefit claimants. One-to-one interviews create a personal environment where the full and accurate details of a claim can be established and customers can be reminded of their responsibility to notify us of changes to their circumstances.We have made excellent progress in the fight against fraud and error. By March 2002 we had reduced fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance by 24 per cent compared to 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of benefit fraud in Portsmouth, South; and if he will make a statement. [97275]

Our most recent estimate is that £2 billion is lost annually through benefit fraud in Great Britain. This estimate cannot be broken down for individual areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fraud referrals there were (a) in the six months before the Targeting Fraud campaign and (b) during the Targeting Fraud campaign; and how many there have been since the Targeting Fraud campaign. [92500]

We receive reports of suspected fraud from three main sources:

members of the Department's own staff, who have reason to suspect that a person claiming benefit may not be telling the truth about their finances, employment or other personal details (for example whether they have support from a partner).

research, including data matches of information held by the Department or legally accessed by the Department from other sources (for example, information held by the Inland Revenue on income or capital).

concerned members of the public who send a message to the Targeting Fraud website or write to or telephone the Department.

The major phases of the Targeting Fraud campaign were in March, September and November 2001, January and March 2002. The primary objectives of the campaign are to reinforce honest behaviour, to create a climate of intolerance to benefit fraud and to undermine its social acceptability, rather than specifically to invite fraud referrals. Evaluation shows that public attitudes are moving in a positive direction as a result of the campaign.The information requested on the number of fraud referrals is in the table.

Number of fraud referrals per month between October 2000 and November 2002
Month ending	Number of fraud referrals1
October 2000	63,232
November 2000	64,334
December 2000	41,228
January 2001	62,013
February 2001	63,219
March 2001	67,384
April 2001	56,395
May 2001	59,052
June 2001	57,891
July 2001	59,858
August 2001	56,095
September 2001	49,749
October 2001	66,057
November 2001	58,254
December 2001	36,951
January 2002	57,263
February 2002	57,051
March 2002	52,833
April 2002	52,177
May 2002	53,722
June 2002	42,492
July 2002	55,375
August 2002	45,975
September 2002	46,862
October 2002	55,012
November 2002	48,437
1Figures include benefit and instrument of payment referrals but exclude General Matching Service referrals.