Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to help protect UK (a) businesses and (b) investors from fraud where people found liable by UK courts are resident in jurisdictions like Dubai that do not consistently enforce UK judgments.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office published its new Fraud Strategy on 9 March. This enhanced plan focuses on disrupting fraud before it reaches a target, safeguarding individuals and businesses by building resilience and responding with victim support and justice. Backed by £250million of investment, the Government has made it clear it will work with partners at home and abroad to clamp down on the fraud epidemic.
The strategy sets out how we will safeguard UK citizens and businesses. Working with the Federation of Small Businesses, the City of London Police, NCSC and the NCA, the Government has developed and published a checklist for businesses to protect themselves against fraud, which can be found on the Stop! Think Fraud website. This is in addition to personal and consumer advice for individuals, also provided on the website.
International collaboration is also a critical part of our response, and we are committed to strengthening the global response on fraud. The UK sponsored a UNODC-INTERPOL Global Fraud Summit which took place on 16-17 March. This Summit brought together over 1,400 delegates, including 115 countries, 400 senior business leaders and 40 ministers. The Summit strengthened global standards on fraud and agreed a framework between governments and industry to facilitate greater international action to protect UK citizens and businesses.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to figure of 2 of his Department's document entitled Analytical note on government response to resale of live events tickets consultation, published on 19 December 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the estimated change in the number and value of tickets sold on alternative resale channels and social media resulting from the proposed price cap on (a) the level of potential fraud and (b) consumer protection risks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department has undertaken analysis to estimate the economic impact of introducing a price cap on the ticket resale market. The modelling uses a series of assumptions about how ticket touts might adapt their activities. These assumptions are inherently uncertain. The model assumes that 20% of tickets originally resold by touts on secondary ticketing platforms will instead by resold via alternative channels. We will continue to refine the modelling and further examine the risks associated with resale activity on alternative channels, before publishing an impact assessment when legislation is introduced to Parliament.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure fraud offences affecting small businesses are properly investigated in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Fraud is a serious and growing threat to businesses, including small businesses, and the Government is committed to ensuring that fraud offences are properly investigated and prevented.
The Government has taken steps to ensure that Fraud is reflected in local policing priorities. This includes improving reporting through the new Report Fraud service and strengthening law enforcement capability through the National Fraud Squad.
Police forces in England and Wales will now be assessed on an ongoing basis on their fraud response as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy Framework.
The national Stop! Think Fraud campaign, provides practical advice to help people and businesses protect themselves. In addition, we have published a dedicated checklist for small businesses to help small firms reduce their exposure to fraud.
Fraud often begins with a cyber-attack. The Government funds a network of regional Cyber Resilience Centres across England and Wales, which provide trusted, tailored advice and support to businesses.
The Government will soon publish a new Fraud Strategy which will outline further measures to tackle fraud against business.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to investigate salons that may not be paying employer National Insurance contributions, VAT liabilities, or pension obligations through the misclassification of staff as self-employed.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC’s priority is to ensure that everyone pays the tax they are legally required to pay including those in the hair and beauty sector.
HMRC’s approach focuses on preventing non‑compliance from arising in the first place by providing clear guidance and tools. In the case of salon owners and workers, additional support to get their tax obligations right has been provided in collaboration with trade bodies. To help support these customers, HMRC has worked with trade bodies for this sector to develop new educational material and has published guidance on GOV.UK to better explain the employment status and tax implications of different business models. Details can be found at: https://youtu.be/5o3au6PyXG8 and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-if-you-work-in-hair-and-beauty
At the same time, HMRC is actively tackling disguised employment in salons and making it harder for the minority who deliberately misclassify workers to avoid paying employer National Insurance, VAT, or pension contributions. HMRC carries out targeted compliance activity to identify cases where individuals presented as self‑employed are, in reality, working as employees.
HMRC is committed to tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence that suggests businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. To report a person or business you think is not paying enough tax please click Report tax fraud or avoidance to HMRC - GOV.UK for more information.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Question 85338 on Driving Instruction: Standards, how many individuals or organisations have been investigated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Counter Fraud and Investigation team in relation to (a) driving test fraud and (b) illegal driving instruction in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 24/25, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) received 927 reports of illegal instruction and 2133 reports of fraud at point of theory test and practical test. DVSA thoroughly investigate all allegations, and action can range from issuing a warning to pursuing prosecution.
DVSA does not maintain records regarding the total number of investigations completed in previous years.
Whilst the volume and levels of undetected fraud are unknown, it should be noted that when compared to the number of theory and practical tests conducted in 24/25, identified cases of fraud in relation to these tests equate to roughly 0.06% for theory tests and roughly 0.01% of practical test tests respectively.
In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Where businesses and driving instructors have been found to have broken these terms and conditions by misuse of the booking service, DVSA has taken steps to remove access or close business accounts. Additionally in the coming months, DVSA will:
Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA has taken to investigate individuals or organisations involved in (a) reselling driving test appointments and (b) bulk booking or profiteering from driving test slots.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 24/25, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) received 927 reports of illegal instruction and 2133 reports of fraud at point of theory test and practical test. DVSA thoroughly investigate all allegations, and action can range from issuing a warning to pursuing prosecution.
DVSA does not maintain records regarding the total number of investigations completed in previous years.
Whilst the volume and levels of undetected fraud are unknown, it should be noted that when compared to the number of theory and practical tests conducted in 24/25, identified cases of fraud in relation to these tests equate to roughly 0.06% for theory tests and roughly 0.01% of practical test tests respectively.
In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Where businesses and driving instructors have been found to have broken these terms and conditions by misuse of the booking service, DVSA has taken steps to remove access or close business accounts. Additionally in the coming months, DVSA will:
Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, for the Department of Health and Social Care and each of its arm's length bodies, how many full-time equivalent staff they employ; and what their headcount was in (1) July 2024, and (2) the most recent period for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department publishes this information online, on the GOV.UK website.
The table below shows the headcount and full-time equivalent (FTE) headcount of staff employed by the Department and each of its arm’s length bodies, as of July 2024 and November 2025, the most recent figures available.
Agency | July 2024 | November 2025 | ||
Headcount | FTE | Headcount | FTE | |
Department of Health and Social Care (excl. agencies) | 3,450 | 3,340 | 3,583 | 3,463 |
Care Quality Commission | 3,598 | 3,413 | 3,661 | 3,480 |
Health Research Authority | 263 | 249 | 276 | 263 |
Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority | 74 | 67 | 84 | 76 |
Human Tissue Authority | 54 | 54 | 59 | 59 |
Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Authority | 1,402 | 1,359 | 1,604 | 1,560 |
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence | 822 | 750 | 843 | 775 |
NHS Blood and Transplant | 6,429 | 5,730 | 6,726 | 5,996 |
NHS Business Services Authority | 4,707 | 4,410 | 5,524 | 5,204 |
NHS England | 15,674 | 14,210 | 15,633 | 14,160 |
NHS Resolution | 764 | 734 | 870 | 837 |
UK Health Security Agency | 5,951 | 5,643 | 5,802 | 5,537 |
NHS Counter Fraud Authority | -- | -- | 230 | 225 |
Health Services Safety Investigations Body | -- | -- | 51 | 44 |
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of creating a national mail order fraud database for (a) retailers, (b) delivery companies, (c) customers and (d) other relevant parties to log delivery issues.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on creating a national mail order fraud database. Led by the Home Office, the Government will be setting out its approach to tackling all types of fraud in its upcoming Fraud Strategy.
Report Fraud is the new national reporting service for fraud and for cyber crime operated by City of London Police. They also take information reports on attempted frauds. Reports submitted to Report Fraud are considered by the service’s National Crime Analysis Service and evaluated to assess the information available which could assist an investigation.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of regulations allowing people whose companies’ debts are written off to retain personal wealth on public confidence in (a) fraud investigation and (b) public bodies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no plans for any such assessment.
Companies are separate legal entities from their directors; those directors only become liable for company debts in limited circumstances. This protection encourages entrepreneurship and is central to the health of the UK economy.
Most companies become insolvent for genuine reasons, however insolvency office-holders have wide powers to recover funds from directors who have not acted in the company’s best interests. The Insolvency Service may also take disqualification action against reckless or dishonest directors and can apply for a compensation order against them, as well as prosecute breaches of company and insolvency legislation.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the Fair Work Agency will assist migrant domestic workers experiencing abuse in private households.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Fair Work Agency will enhance the UK's ability to respond to exploitation of migrant domestic workers. It will bring together labour market enforcement functions and include new powers to investigate and take action against offences under the Fraud Act 2006. These powers, when operational, will allow the FWA to pursue certain cases of deception, abuse of position or withholding pay, where conduct does not meet the higher modern slavery threshold.