Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS872, on Combating Hatred Against Muslim Fund, what was included in the bid by the British Muslim Trust for the contract to provide a comprehensive service to monitor and support victims of anti-Muslim hatred.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government received 34 applications to the Combating Hatred Against Muslim Fund.
All applicants were required to submit a detailed business plan as well as provide answers to questions related to 16 criteria. More information on the 16 criteria which applications were assessed against can be found on the fund’s prospectus - Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus - GOV.UK.
Due diligence checks were undertaken into all high scoring applicants. Financial checks were undertaken using the Spotlight due diligence tool. This uses risk indicators, developed by national security and fraud experts to inform decisions about whether to award a grant or contract, and onward monitoring, providing real time information from a range of government and commercial data sources in order to risk assess grant applicants including any linked directors, companies and beneficial owners.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS872, on Combating Hatred Against Muslims Fund, how many bids to provide an anti-Muslim hatred monitoring and victim support service through the Combating Hate Against Muslims fund were received by his Department.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government received 34 applications to the Combating Hatred Against Muslim Fund.
All applicants were required to submit a detailed business plan as well as provide answers to questions related to 16 criteria. More information on the 16 criteria which applications were assessed against can be found on the fund’s prospectus - Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus - GOV.UK.
Due diligence checks were undertaken into all high scoring applicants. Financial checks were undertaken using the Spotlight due diligence tool. This uses risk indicators, developed by national security and fraud experts to inform decisions about whether to award a grant or contract, and onward monitoring, providing real time information from a range of government and commercial data sources in order to risk assess grant applicants including any linked directors, companies and beneficial owners.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS872, on Combating Hatred Against Muslim Fund, what financial due diligence his Department undertook in relation to the appointment of the British Muslim Trust as a government-funded partner.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government received 34 applications to the Combating Hatred Against Muslim Fund.
All applicants were required to submit a detailed business plan as well as provide answers to questions related to 16 criteria. More information on the 16 criteria which applications were assessed against can be found on the fund’s prospectus - Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus - GOV.UK.
Due diligence checks were undertaken into all high scoring applicants. Financial checks were undertaken using the Spotlight due diligence tool. This uses risk indicators, developed by national security and fraud experts to inform decisions about whether to award a grant or contract, and onward monitoring, providing real time information from a range of government and commercial data sources in order to risk assess grant applicants including any linked directors, companies and beneficial owners.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many audits the Public Sector Fraud Authority has undertaken into the National Investigation Service; what the purpose of these audits was; what methods were used during these audits; what the risks identified during these audits were; and how long each of these audits took.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On 12 October 2023, the Public Sector Fraud Authority were requested to undertake a formal operational review of National Investigation Service, with a primary purpose to focus on performance. The review team included experts from the National Crime Agency, Serious Fraud Office, HM Revenue and Customs, Government Internal Audit Agency, and NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
The review report was provided to DBT on 17 November 2023 and made recommendations to prevent future risk of secondments lapsing and appropriate governance.
There have been no other formal audits or reviews undertaken by the Public Sector Fraud Authority into National Investigation Service.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department took to undertake due diligence in relation to the National Investigation Service before its funding for that body to enhance counter-fraud work was announced in the Spring Statement 2022.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the time of the Spring Statement 2022 the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) had commissioned and managed NATIS to undertake potentially fraudulent covid loan investigations.
Through the Machinery of Government changes accountability for NATIS passed to DBT in February 2023. Financial, Commercial and Security due diligence was completed by DBT in preparation for the contract that commenced April 2024.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many cases of alleged covid-19 Bounce Back Loan Fraud the National Investigation Service investigated under its contract with the Government; and how many people were arrested because of these investigations but not charged.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The National Investigation Service have investigated 254 Bounce Back Loan Fraud cases in total (including both open and closed cases).
There have been 6 arrests resulting in no charge.
There have been 56 arrests where the cases are still ongoing, and the suspect has been released pending investigation, a number of these may result in no charge.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent the (a) sale and (b) production of skimming devices used fraudulently steal card details.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Home Office announced that an expanded fraud strategy will be published later this year, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, with a key focus of the strategy being combatting tech-enabled fraud.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government is taking steps to monitor fraud under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure business rate relief scheme, in the context of businesses falsely claiming a discount when they would otherwise be subject to the £110,000 cap.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Business rates are administered by local government, and it is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance issued by the government.
The government will not tolerate any business falsifying their records or providing false evidence to gain relief, including claiming support above the cash cap. As set out in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief guidance (Business Rates Relief: 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme - GOV.UK) ratepayers cannot exceed the £110,000 cash cap across their properties. Any ratepayer who falsely applies for any relief, provides false information or makes false representation in order to gain relief may be guilty of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006 and may be subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both.
The government remains committed to taking the necessary action to tackle business rates avoidance and evasion over the course of this Parliament.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on what dates the Government renewed the contract for the National Investigation Service to investigate COVID-19 Bounce Back Loan fraud nationwide.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
NATIS was commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), subsequently The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in September 2020 to undertake investigations into potentially fraudulent activity by recipients of loans under the Covid-19 Bounce Back Loan Scheme. The contract was renewed effective from 1st April 2024.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on what date the National Investigation Service was contracted to investigate COVID-19 Bounce Back Loan fraud nationwide.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
NATIS was commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), subsequently The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in September 2020 to undertake investigations into potentially fraudulent activity by recipients of loans under the Covid-19 Bounce Back Loan Scheme. The contract was renewed effective from 1st April 2024.