Collins Judith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Collins Judith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:635;Page:6413] 
5.  
JUDITH COLLINS (National—Clevedon) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Does he stand by his statement that his ministry has a zero tolerance policy for fraud? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Yes. 
Judith Collins 
: Is his ministry conducting an investigation into student loan fraud at any prisons in New Zealand; if so where? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The cases around the prison that the member is referring to of course are matters that have not yet gone to trial and are under investigation. Therefore it would be premature to comment at this time. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What are the trends for benefit fraud investigation and prosecution? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: In the past financial year the number of cases of substantiated benefit fraud fell by 11 percent. The total overpayments as a result of fraud fell from $41 million roughly to around $38 million. Thanks to the ministry’s early intervention of prevention strategies 95 percent of benefit fraud prosecutions undertaken were successful. Audit New Zealand has recently upgraded the ministry’s status following its annual review of the ministry’s internal controls. The ministry has numerous data-matching identity checking systems in place although it would not be wise to divulge all those at this time. The ministry recently established an intelligence unit similar to those in overseas benefit systems where identity fraud is more prevalent and that is already proving to be effective. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Does he consider that ease of public access to documentation such as birth certificates should be reviewed in order to reduce the risk of fraud to the welfare system as occurred recently? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: That is an excellent suggestion and one so excellent that my understanding is that the ministry is already looking into that matter. 
Paula Bennett 
: When will the Minister share with Parliament the outcome of the investigation into student loan and student allowance fraud in New Zealand prisons? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: As I mentioned before the cases if they are the same ones that are being referred to as I have here in my notes are not coming to trial yet at this point therefore it would be prejudicial for me to comment on them. 
Anne Tolley 
: When did the Minister first become aware of the investigation into student loan fraud at any prisons in New Zealand? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Since I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Social Development and Employment I ask the member to put that down as a written question. I am sure the Minister will answer it for the member. 
Judith Collins 
: Was information about fraud by prisoners using student allowances and student loans omitted from the Minister’s ministry’s weekly risk analysis at any time this year? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: It is always the case when acting on behalf of another Minister that one does not have those particular details. So once again I would urge the member to put that down as a written question. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What have you been doing for 4 hours? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: But just to reassure members on the other side including Mr Brownlee at no time does the ministry accept any case of fraud and it always gets its money back. 
Judith Collins 
: What proposals has the Minister received to reliably determine the extent of welfare benefit fraud and is it true that a proposal by the ministry’s general manager benefit integrity services for a study to reliably determine the extent of benefit fraud has been declined this year? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: My understanding is that the previous Minister for Social Development and Employment if I can answer from that point of view moved on a zero tolerance policy for a number of years and reviewing why benefit fraud arises has been something that has been undertaken through a large number of studies. As to the specificity of the last question once again that lodges in the Minister’s head and the member would need to ask that in a written question. 
Judith Collins 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I seek a point of clarification. Is the Minister saying that he does not know? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Well I think the Minister addressed the question. That was not a point of order.