Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Identity Fraud

Monday 8 June 2026 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department launched a 250 million fraud strategy focusing on prevention, protection, and enforcement.
  • Identity theft is criminalised under the Fraud Act 2006, Computer Misuse Act 1990, and Data Protection Act 2018.
  • The Government invested 31 million in a new initiative to reduce fraud levels and work with various organisations.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Charters Lab York Outer
Standards & Ethics
Context

Several constituents in York Outer have experienced identity theft, affecting their personal finances and lives.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle identity fraud. Several of my constituents have had their identity stolen, leading to devastating consequences such as delayed house purchases for armed forces members. Identity theft often gets bundled with other offences like computer misuse and is not pursued separately. Given the widespread nature of this issue, will my hon. Friend meet me and campaigners to discuss making identity fraud a stand-alone offence?

Answer from Dan Jarvis

We have launched a £250 million fraud strategy focusing on prevention, protection of victims, and enforcement. The theft of personal information is already criminalised under legislation such as the Fraud Act 2006, Computer Misuse Act 1990, and Data Protection Act 2018. We commissioned an independent review to ensure these laws remain effective, and we will consider its findings carefully for further actions against identity fraud. I am sure that Lord Hanson will be happy to meet.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Meeting campaigners to discuss making identity fraud a stand-alone offence was not specifically confirmed or denied

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Q2 Luke Charters Lab York Outer
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

A constituent's house purchase was delayed due to identity theft, highlighting issues with how identity fraud is reported and prosecuted.

Question

Several of my constituents have had their identity stolen, leading to devastating consequences such as a delayed house purchase for an armed forces member. Identity theft often gets bundled into other offences like computer misuse and not pursued separately. Given the widespread nature of this issue, will my hon. Friend meet me and campaigners to discuss making identity fraud a stand-alone offence?

Answer from Dan Jarvis

My hon. Friend speaks with authority on these matters. The theft of personal information is already criminalised under legislation such as the Fraud Act 2006, Computer Misuse Act 1990, and Data Protection Act 2018. We commissioned an independent review to ensure these laws remain effective, which has submitted its final report to the Government and will be published shortly. We will consider further action based on its findings.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Meeting campaigners specifically was not addressed

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Q3 Gregory Stafford Con Farnham and Bordon
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

Mr De Mesquita raised concerns that Report Fraud is not passing victim information to local police forces, potentially leaving vulnerable victims at risk.

Question

At my constituency surgery on Friday, Mr De Mesquita spoke about his concerns that Report Fraud is not passing victim details of identity fraud to local police forces. Given the vulnerability of these individuals and their likelihood of being victims of other crimes, will the Minister let us know what he is doing to ensure such information gets passed on?

Answer from Dan Jarvis

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's point and will raise it with Lord Hanson. The Government have invested £250 million in working with various organisations like law enforcement, GCHQ, banks, telecoms, tech partners, and civil society to reduce fraud levels. We also invested £31 million in a new online crime centre.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions for ensuring victim data reaches local police were not detailed

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