As more public services go on line the scope for exploiting identity theft and fraud increases. At the same time developments in technology are providing increasing safeguards to counter the work of fraudsters. The wealth of information held on a variety of databases is available to those with a legitimate need to authenticate identity and verify an address. This feature explains what can be done to counter fraud and how the technology can support investigations.

There are calls today for new limits and controls on Quangos and for an inquiry into the money spent on regional development agencies. They come from Dan Lewis, author of ‘The Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005’, which is published today.Mr. Lewis is director of the Efficiency in Government Unit, a body that is co-sponsored by the Centre for Policy Studies and the Economic Research Council. The guide includes statistics on the costs to taxpayers of Quangos as well as detailing their tax, regulatory and funding powers. Mr. Lewis says this had not been done before.

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A charity that helps people with disabilities to find employment wants the chance to play a leading role in a government initiative designed to get people off incapacity benefit and into work.With the Pathways To Work programme now being rolled out across the country, after successful pilots, the Shaw Trust, the UK’s largest provider of employment services for disabled people has called for its experts to play a leading role.

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