Clause 46
Welfare Reform Bill
6:00 pm
Tim Boswell (Daventry, Conservative)
Briefly, I do not think that there is anything objectionable in principle here. It would be helpful if the Under-Secretary could share with the Committee any information that she has about anybody else who is empowered to carry out prosecutions in relation to benefit fraud on behalf of the DWP. Are there any such persons? Perhaps not. To extend the thought for a moment, in relation to those who provide support under pathways to work, will she assure the Committee that it is the Government’s intention, at least at this stage, not to award any prosecution powers to private sector providers and that the powers will be kept in-house in the Department, just like the decision-making process?