Prior to the last General Election, there was no-cross Government work to tackle the billions of pounds of taxpayers' money lost to fraud.<\/p>
We are currently reviewing the business case for a Counter Fraud Checking Service.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-17T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to publish the report of the independent project review of the Counter Fraud Checking Service once it is completed.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "191593"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42363", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42363/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42363/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "PQ 191685 ONS 95.pdf"} , "title" : "Civil Servants working less than 20 - ONS Letter"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-17T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the change in numbers of civil servants working less than 20 hours per week was between January 2010 and January 2014.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"} ], "uin" : "191685"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42384", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42384/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]<\/em><\/p> To assist public scrutiny, I have placed in the Library of the House, a table which provides quarterly figures for the last ten years.<\/p> Over that period, the numbers of households in temporary accommodation in London in this Government is far lower than averaged under the last Administration. The peak of 63,800 households in December 2005 compares to 42,430 in December 2013.<\/p> Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible and we made common sense changes to the law to enable them to use suitable private rented homes. The average stay in temporary accommodation in England has been reduced from 20 months at the beginning of 2010 to 14 months now, which means that people on average are spending far less time in such temporary accommodation.<\/p> We have also seen a 42% reduction in the numbers of families with children in Bed and Breakfast for more than six weeks on this time last year across the country. The seven local authorities that my Department has funded to tackle families in Bed and Breakfast have made significant progress, achieving an overall reduction of 96% since the funding began.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-10T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of London households in temporary accommodation were in (a) private sector leased properties, (b) hotels, (c) bed and breakfast, (d) local authority registered social landlord property and (e) other accommodation (i) at the most recent date for which figures are available and (ii) at 31 March 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/199", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Karen Buck"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Westminster North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ms Karen Buck"}
], "uin" : "191531"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42478", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42478/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The revenue funding provided to free schools that opened, or projects that planned to open, in 2011 and 2012 is published online:<\/p> www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools<\/a>.<\/p> This publication includes pre-opening expenditure levels. When a project is cancelled or withdrawn, the Department for Education seeks to reclaim as much pre-opening expenditure as possible.<\/p> The publication will be updated shortly to include free schools that opened, or projects that planned to open, in 2013.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1605", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Edward Timpson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crewe and Nantwich"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Timpson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-24T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the names are of the free school projects proposed to open in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 that have been cancelled or withdrawn; and what the pre-opening expenditure was for each of those projects.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "191590"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42547", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42547/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I replied to the hon. Member on 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for James Brokenshire"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Old Bexley and Sidcup"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Brokenshire"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-25T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she intends to answer Named Day written question 185520 tabled on 28 January 2014 for answer on 3 February 2014; and what the reasons are for the delay in answering this question.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1533", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingston upon Hull North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Diana Johnson"}
], "uin" : "191536"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42553", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42553/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> <\/p> The Department for Work and Pensions operates a tough series of specific penalties for benefit fraud that run alongside the criminal justice system. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 toughened penalties for those who commit, or attempt to commit benefit fraud. We have introduced a financial administrative penalty as an alternative to prosecution which, for the first time, can be applied to attempted fraud.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has also introduced a tougher loss of benefit penalty to restrict benefits to people convicted of benefit fraud or who have accepted an administrative penalty. Benefits can be reduced for periods of 13 weeks, 26 weeks or 3 years, dependent on the number of benefit fraud offences committed within a specified period, where the latest offence results in a conviction.<\/p> Judges make their decisions independently of Government based on the facts of each case. The maximum penalty for fraud is 10 years in prison.<\/p> The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences relating to benefit fraud, with sentencing outcomes and the average custodial sentence length by gender, in England and Wales, from 2008 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.<\/p> <\/p> Please note that court proceedings statistics for the year 2013 are planned to be published by the Ministry of Justice in May 2014.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jeremy Wright"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42553/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "191466.XLS"}
, "title" : "Table 1"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "191466"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-09T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) men and (b) women convicted of benefit fraud in each of the last five years received a prison sentence; and what the average prison sentence was for those of each gender so convicted.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1565", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Philip Davies"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shipley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Philip Davies"}
], "uin" : "191465"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42554", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42554/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> <\/p> The Department for Work and Pensions operates a tough series of specific penalties for benefit fraud that run alongside the criminal justice system. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 toughened penalties for those who commit, or attempt to commit benefit fraud. We have introduced a financial administrative penalty as an alternative to prosecution which, for the first time, can be applied to attempted fraud.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has also introduced a tougher loss of benefit penalty to restrict benefits to people convicted of benefit fraud or who have accepted an administrative penalty. Benefits can be reduced for periods of 13 weeks, 26 weeks or 3 years, dependent on the number of benefit fraud offences committed within a specified period, where the latest offence results in a conviction.<\/p> Judges make their decisions independently of Government based on the facts of each case. The maximum penalty for fraud is 10 years in prison.<\/p> The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences relating to benefit fraud, with sentencing outcomes and the average custodial sentence length by gender, in England and Wales, from 2008 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.<\/p> <\/p> Please note that court proceedings statistics for the year 2013 are planned to be published by the Ministry of Justice in May 2014.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jeremy Wright"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42554/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "191466.XLS"}
, "title" : "Table 1"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "191465"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-09T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) men and (b) women convicted of benefit fraud in each of the last five years received (i) a conditional discharge, (ii) a fine, (iii) a community order and (iv) a suspended prison sentence.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1565", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Philip Davies"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shipley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Philip Davies"}
], "uin" : "191466"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42556", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42556/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We have not yet made an estimate of the cost to the taxpayer of the action by barristers on 6 January and 7 March 2014. The question of costs is a matter for judges to consider in individual cases under the provisions set out in the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (as amended).<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1496", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shailesh Vara"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Cambridgeshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Shailesh Vara"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-01T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the action by barristers on (a) 6 January 2014 and (b) 7 March 2014; and what his policy is on imposing a costs sanction on the barristers involved.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1565", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Philip Davies"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shipley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Philip Davies"}
], "uin" : "191468"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42559", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42559/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> <\/p> Prisoners are assessed on entry to prison for addiction problems and there is a package of support available to them. The MoJ's Transforming Rehabilitation programme will provide individual support to all released prisoners. This will include identifying risks and needs for individual ex-prisoners, and providing services to address them.<\/p> <\/p> The Ministry of Justice does not collect these data centrally on a regular basis. However, a survey of 1,435 adult prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in 2005 and 2006 (Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction \u2013 SPCR) provides self-reported estimates for each question.<\/p> <\/p>