Oral Answers to Questions — Engagements

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 25 April 2001.

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Photo of William Hague William Hague Leader of HM Official Opposition, Leader of the Conservative Party 12:00, 25 April 2001

The Government spent £3.5 million on the anti-benefit fraud campaign, which, according to their evaluation, led to no increase in reporting benefit fraud. The Government's report stated: the result of the campaign was that respondents … perceived benefit fraud as easier to commit than they had previously thought. That report is available in the Library.

The sum of £3 million has been spent on promoting take-up of the minimum income guarantee. Again, the evaluation states that it has missed … 500,000 pensioners who are entitled to MIG but do not claim it. It is therefore ludicrous for the Prime Minister to claim that such things are indispensable.

There are 1.75 million people working in the tourist industry. Bookings have decreased massively, and the BTA says that it needs £7 million now to stop bookings being cancelled. Is not it time that the Government stopped spending record sums on advertising themselves and spent some of it on advertising Britain?