Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions have taken place for fraudulent peer to peer lending in 2019.

The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions and convictions relating to fraud offences, up to December 2019, available in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code’ data tool, here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938554/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) developed the Peer-to-Peer Lending Instrument 2019 in the exercise of the powers and related provisions in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

In the data tool linked above, use the ‘Offence code’ filter in order to isolate the following offences under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, using their individual Home Office (HO) offence codes:

• 09508 - Provide false information to the Financial Services Authority
• 09976 - Triable either way offences (except those under classification 95/08) under Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
• 11401 - Summary offences under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000

We are unable to disaggregate cases specifically referring to fraudulent peer-to-peer lending from other offences under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.