Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve conviction rates in cases of fraud.

The Government recognises that to improve conviction rates, there needs to be an increased pipeline of cases under investigation. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service (HMICFRS) carried out an inspection of the police response to fraud in 2019. The review found that significant improvements are required to ensure the model works more effectively and efficiently, including the need for a much more co-ordinated national approach with clear roles and responsibilities.

In August 2021, a follow up review from the HMICFRS established that the majority of their initial recommendations had been met, citing improvements across numerous areas of the law enforcement response. Despite this, we know that more needs to be done to ensure law enforcement has the capacity and capability to respond effectively to fraud. We will continue to work with partners to act on outstanding HMICFRS recommendations and improve the law enforcement response at all levels moving forward.

We are also considering all routes, including legislation, to ensure that law enforcement have all the tools they need to go after fraudsters and crucially to protect those who are vulnerable to these harmful crimes