Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents of benefit fraud relating to human trafficking and organised crime have resulted in a successful prosecution between 2010 and the most recent date for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Faulks
It is not possible to identify from Ministry of Justice centrally held data whether a defendant proceeded against for an offence related to benefit fraud has a link to human trafficking or organised crime. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reports of benefit fraud have been submitted to the Department for Work and Pensions between 2010 and the most recent date for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Freud
The number of reports of benefit fraud received by the Fraud and Error Service (FES) from 1st January 2010 to 30th September 2015 totals 4,889,021
You should not infer from this information that an actual offence has been committed. This information relates only to allegations and not completed investigations.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents of benefit fraud have been recorded in the East Midlands region between 2010 and the most recent date for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Freud
The information is not available in the format requested.
Figures are only available for the Central region, which is made up of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland, East Anglia, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, Mercia, Brimigham and Solihull, Black Country, Shropshire and Staffordshire.
There were 42442 confirmed cases of benefit fraud recorded in the Central region between 1st January 2010 and 30th September 2015.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce a requirement for the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to ensure that gangmasters have a Disclosure and Barring Service check as part of the licence application process.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government has no current plans to introduce a requirement for a Disclosure and Barring Service check in the Gangmasters Licensing Authority licence application. A public consultation on the role of the GLA in labour market enforcement was published on 13 October and invites views on operation of the licensing regime.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to require gangmasters to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check as part of their licence application process.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government has no current plans to introduce a requirement for a Disclosure and Barring Service check in the Gangmasters Licensing Authority licence application. A public consultation on the role of the GLA in labour market enforcement was published on 13 October and invites views on operation of the licensing regime.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a statutory obligation for Jobcentre Plus officers to report suspected benefit fraud.
Answered by Lord Freud
As Civil Servants, all Jobcentre Plus staff must adhere to the Civil Service Code which states they must ‘comply with the law and uphold the administration of justice’.
Jobcentre staff have access to the DWP Fraud Referral Portal. This is a source of information and guidance for staff when fraud is suspected or has been notified by a member of the public.
A Fraud Referral Form is completed when a member of DWP discovers abuse of the benefit system whilst undertaking their official duties or if an allegation is received from, or about, an employer or organisation.
Where post is received into a Jobcentre referring to an allegation of potential fraud, this is passed on to the DWP’s Operational Intelligence Unit to investigate.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how Jobcentre Plus officers report suspected benefit fraud.
Answered by Lord Freud
As Civil Servants, all Jobcentre Plus staff must adhere to the Civil Service Code which states they must ‘comply with the law and uphold the administration of justice’.
Jobcentre staff have access to the DWP Fraud Referral Portal. This is a source of information and guidance for staff when fraud is suspected or has been notified by a member of the public.
A Fraud Referral Form is completed when a member of DWP discovers abuse of the benefit system whilst undertaking their official duties or if an allegation is received from, or about, an employer or organisation.
Where post is received into a Jobcentre referring to an allegation of potential fraud, this is passed on to the DWP’s Operational Intelligence Unit to investigate.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy is in place to enable Jobcentre Plus officers to identify benefit fraud.
Answered by Lord Freud
As Civil Servants, all Jobcentre Plus staff must adhere to the Civil Service Code which states they must ‘comply with the law and uphold the administration of justice’.
Jobcentre staff have access to the DWP Fraud Referral Portal. This is a source of information and guidance for staff when fraud is suspected or has been notified by a member of the public.
A Fraud Referral Form is completed when a member of DWP discovers abuse of the benefit system whilst undertaking their official duties or if an allegation is received from, or about, an employer or organisation.
Where post is received into a Jobcentre referring to an allegation of potential fraud, this is passed on to the DWP’s Operational Intelligence Unit to investigate.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with other donor countries about the case for innovative funding arrangements to meet long-term humanitarian needs in South Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK has led conversations with other donors on improving linkages between humanitarian and development programmes, and ways to increase self-sufficiency and resilience among populations who are in need of humanitarian assistance. With our partners we are looking to fast track and implement innovative ways to stimulate markets to address food insecurity and build livelihoods, link development programmes in health and education with humanitarian provision of these services, and improve co-ordination in-country between humanitarian and development planning and provision.
Within the £150m in humanitarian support already pledged by the UK in response to the crisis in South Sudan this year, and supplemented by our development support to basic services and livelihoods, the UK is introducing new elements that facilitate a move away from reactive emergency responses to those that strengthen communities’ and households’ own efforts to reduce hunger and the need for humanitarian assistance. This portfolio includes investments in food and livestock production, stimulating weak food markets in urban centres, and enhancing roads that link communities with markets and basic services.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage greater and co-ordinated regional political pressure being put on all parties to the conflict in South Sudan to cease fighting and to respect agreements signed to date.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK is actively supporting regional efforts, led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to resolve the crisis in South Sudan. We raise the need for continued regional engagement through our Embassies in IGAD capitals, contacts between Ministers and through the UK Special Representative’s engagement in the peace talks