Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Prosecution of Fraud: Covid-19

Thursday 1 February 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Serious Fraud Office has brought no prosecutions for cases of fraud connected with covid-19.
  • The SFO works with other law enforcement agencies to ensure proper handling of fraud cases.
  • The CPS has charged numerous individuals for fraud related to covid-19 financial support schemes.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Neale Hanvey
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP asked about the number of prosecutions brought by the Serious Fraud Office for cases of fraud connected with coronavirus contracts and financial support schemes.

Question

How many prosecutions have been brought by the Serious Fraud Office for cases of fraud connected with covid-19 (a) contracts and (b) financial support schemes.

Answer from Robert Courts

The Serious Fraud Office has brought no prosecutions for cases of fraud connected with covid-19. The SFO deals only with the most complex and serious economic crime, so the vast majority of such cases would not fall within its remit. The SFO works closely with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that intelligence is shared and the investigations are handled by the most appropriate agency.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The number of prosecutions related to coronavirus fraud was not provided.

How: The Sfo Deals Only With The Most Complex And Serious Economic Crime, So The Vast Majority Of Such Cases Would Not Fall Within Its Remit.

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Q2 Neale Hanvey
Crime & Law Enforcement Taxation
Context

The MP addressed the staggering level of fraud reported by HMRC in two coronavirus financial support schemes, with a recovery rate of less than £1 billion out of £3.3 to £7.3 billion in losses and an additional write-off of £8.7 billion for protective equipment. The MP asked for a commitment to routinely publish accounts including the number of prosecutions and cost of recovery.

Question

It is staggering to hear the Solicitor General refer to this as not serious, or imply that it is not serious. In 2023, the level of fraud reported by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs in two covid-19 financial support schemes sat between £3.3 billion and £7.3 billion, with less than £1 billion being recovered. Considering that the UK Government have already written off an alarming £8.7 billion that they spent on protective equipment bought during the pandemic, will he commit to routinely publishing accounts including the number of prosecutions and the cost of recovery for covid-19 contracts and support schemes?

Answer from Robert Courts

The hon. Gentleman misunderstands my point: the SFO deals with the most complex schemes. Not for a second would I have suggested that any such fraud is not serious—of course it is—but the vast majority of the crimes to which he alludes would be dealt with by the CPS. Indeed, the CPS has charged a number of individuals with precisely those sorts of crimes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: A commitment to routinely publishing accounts was not provided.

How: The Hon. Gentleman Misunderstands My Point: The Sfo Deals With The Most Complex Schemes

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