To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward proposals to ensure that a benefit claimant's first sanction for an offence should not involve loss of benefit. (310565)

There are no plans to bring forward such proposals.

Section 24 of the Welfare Reform Act 2009, to be commenced in April 2010, provides for loss or reduction of benefit for a period of four weeks for a first offence of benefit fraud that results in a conviction, administrative penalty or caution. The aim of this measure is to deter those thinking about committing benefit fraud from doing so. However, those who persist will face a loss or reduction of continuing benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the outcome of Operation Golf in respect of identification of benefit fraud originating outside the UK; and (a) which resources and (b) how many staff of her Department and its agencies are assigned to the detection of such frauds. (313260)

[holding answer 25 January 2010]: Operation Golf is an ongoing Metropolitan Police Service investigation and it will fall to the Metropolitan Police Service to respond. Where appropriate these matters are jointly investigated under a Joint Statement of Intent between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Metropolitan police. Intelligence suggesting possible benefit abuse arising from Operation Golf is disseminated and referred to DWP and/or Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for investigation.

The Fraud Investigation Service was set up as a national service in April 2006 to investigate fraudulent activity against all benefits administered by DWP. The Fraud Investigation Service structure includes two national teams; one specialising in investigating cases where there is a suggestion of serious and/or organised criminality and another in gathering and analysis of intelligence. Resources are deployed in direct proportion to the needs of an investigation.

As at December 2009, 2,786 staff are employed by the Fraud Investigation Service.