Asked by: Matt Turmaine (Labour - Watford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to reduce fraud in the public sector.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
In January, the government introduced the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill as part of the biggest fraud crackdown in a generation. The measures in the Bill will give us more tools to combat fraud, recover public money and allow the government to investigate fraud.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority is also developing artificial intelligence tools to tackle fraud - and is expected to surpass the PSFA’s £250m 2024-25 audited benefits target from these services.
Asked by: Matt Turmaine (Labour - Watford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward further regulation of the sale of (a) crossbows and (b) crossbow arrow heads.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are actively considering the introduction of further controls around crossbows and broadhead arrows. This follows a call for evidence on strengthening controls on crossbows on public safety grounds which ran from 14 February to 9 April 2024.
It tested ideas for whether there should be some form of licensing regime that would provide further controls on the use, ownership and supply of crossbows as well as whether there should be a prohibition on broadhead arrows. The responses have been reviewed and we will publish the Government’s response to the call for evidence, which will include what action we intend to take alongside a summary of the responses received, shortly.