Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Whistleblowing

Wednesday 14 October 2026 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government launched a consultation on enhancing the whistleblowing framework
  • Tom Collins encouraged constituent to share experiences in the whistleblowing consultation
  • Bob Blackman inquired about further protection for whistleblowers eased out unfairly after initial reporting

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tom Collins
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The questioner seeks to understand the steps taken to enhance the whistleblowing framework.

Question

What steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to enhance the whistleblowing framework.

Answer from Andrew Slaughter

Whistleblowers can reveal criminal activity that would otherwise go undiscovered, help unravel complex cases, speed up investigations and deliver justice for victims more quickly, but we believe that more can be done. On Monday, the Government launched a consultation on the whistleblowing framework, which will involve seeking views on a proposed scheme to reward financially whistleblowers who report economic crime to the Serious Fraud Office.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q2 Tom Collins
Employment
Context

The questioner refers to a constituent who faced bullying and prejudice in high-level amateur sport and questions the adequacy of current whistleblowing protections.

Question

I am working with a constituent who has been subject to bullying and prejudice in high-level amateur sport. Current whistleblowing protections apply only to employees of an organisation, but sports people often have just as much, if not more, to lose if a sporting organisation turns against them. Does the Solicitor General agree that whistleblowing protections are important for good governance, safety and safeguarding in organisations across sectors?

Answer from Andrew Slaughter

Yes, and I am sorry to hear of the experience of my hon. Friend's constituent. I encourage him and his constituent to share that experience in the whistleblowing consultation that I mentioned. Whistleblowers can dramatically cut the time and resource that it takes to get to the heart of a case by providing the necessary information to focus investigations, and I invite my colleagues on both sides of the House to feed into the consultation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answerer did not provide specific measures or commitments to improve protections for sports people who are not employees.

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Q3 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The questioner highlights that whistleblowers often face unfair treatment and are eased out of organisations after initially blowing the whistle.

Question

Far too often, whistleblowers are protected when they initially blow the whistle on fraud, economic crime and the like, but are eased out of organisations unfairly later. What further protection can the Solicitor General offer people who do the right thing and blow the whistle on crime?

Answer from Andrew Slaughter

The consultation that I mentioned is the widest consultation on the most comprehensive Government review of the whistleblowing framework since its introduction in 1999. I hope that the hon. Gentleman and others will feed into it, so that we can make a sea change in the way that whistleblowers are dealt with.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answerer did not provide specific measures or commitments to protect whistleblowers who are eased out of organisations.

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Q4 Ben Maguire
Economy
Context

The questioner discusses Simon Andriesz, who blew the whistle on financial crime but lost legal protection and subsequently took his own life. The questioner asks if the Attorney General will meet Cabinet colleagues to discuss this case and the need for an office of the whistleblower.

Question

Simon Andriesz, a former finance manager, blew the whistle over hundreds of millions of dollars of financial crime, exposing links between the United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The Financial Conduct Authority wrongly told him that he had lost his legal protection as a whistleblower. Simon said: “The personal consequences of whistleblowing, and the retaliation that followed, have been devastating for my family and me.” Last month, Simon sadly took his own life. The FCA review is being carried out by a member of its own board. Will the Attorney General meet Cabinet colleagues to discuss this, and the case for an “office of the whistleblower”?

Answer from Andrew Slaughter

I am sure the whole House will join me in expressing our deepest condolences to Simon and his family. It is right to say that the Financial Conduct Authority is conducting an investigation into the allegations of wrongdoing, and I therefore do not think it would be right for me to comment in detail at this time. I know that concerns have been raised about the inquiry, but it is being conducted by a new non-exec director. It will report, and the chief executive of the FCA has said that she will have carte blanche to look across the piece at the dealings between Simon and the FCA. In the first instance, I think we should wait to see the outcome of the inquiry before going any further.

Not addressed: The answerer did not confirm any meetings or discussions on Simon Andriesz's case or the need for an office of the whistleblower.

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