Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how many reports of (a) serious or complex fraud, (b) bribery and (c) corruption, as defined within the remit of the Serious Fraud Office, there have been in each of the last ten years.

The SFO receives approximately 1,200 referrals of alleged criminality every year. These range in seriousness and come from a variety of sources, including the public, whistle-blowers and corporate referrals.

Every referral received is researched and/or assessed to help determine if it is a matter that the SFO should investigate.

The SFO only takes on only the most complex fraud and bribery cases. Should a referral not meet the reasonable suspicion threshold and the Director’s Statement of Principle, it may be referred to another law enforcement agency or discontinued.

The Serious Fraud Office does not hold data on reported fraud cases to other law enforcement agencies.